Threat of the Threads
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: When Buddi's curiosity about his parents leads to one of Zummi's spells gone haywire, the young cub finds himself lost in time and completely on his own...R&R Please! *COMPLETED*
1. Chapter 1

Threat of the Threads

Gummi Bears are not mine. I got the idea for this story a while ago but thought it would prove confusing. However, after reading a story of Angel Raye's that manages many time jumps without confusion, entitled Lost in Time, I decided to try and put it on paper. Please R&R!

            "Buddi! Sunni! Cubbi! Will you three stop getting into mischief?"

            The called cubs whirled around and grinned in answer. Gruffi sighed and said out loud,

            "Why do I even ask?'

            Ursa looked over from the fire. She, Buddi, and Gritty had agreed to spend a holiday with the Glens, to learn more about each other. In return, the Glens would learn more about them and join them for their Night of the Burning Stars, two weeks following. This holiday the Glen Gummies called, Festival of the First Snow.

            "Let them play, Gruffi," Ursa cut in.

            "They're just getting into trouble!"

            Gritty stood,

            "They're cubs; cubs get into trouble."

            Grammi came in from the kitchen and hissed,

            "They're right, leave the poor dears alone!"

            Gruffi snorted but didn't reply. The three cubs giggled and then asked, as one,

            "Can we play outside?"

            Ursa and Grammi replied,

            "Sure, just stay close and watch the time. Be in before dark."

            The three nodded and ran off. Ursa chuckled and turned back to the fire. Gruffi looked at her,

            "You just let him run off like that? Not even an adult with him?"

            Ursa raised an eyebrow at Gruffi,

            "Buddi's a Barbic, he can handle himself. And he's smart."

            Her glare met Gruffi's. Gritty sighed,

            "Oh Gum. This is gonna be a long day."

* * *

            Zummi looked at the small brown cub by his side. Cubbi had gone to bed a few hours ago and Sunni a few minutes ago. The Barbics were staying the night. Ursa said that Buddi usually went to bed about thirty minutes after Sunni. So Buddi was looking through the Great Book with the magician. 

            "Zummi?"

            The purple gummi looked over and the cub pointed to a page that was alien to Zummi. He'd never seen it before. Buddi looked at the adult with inquisitive eyes. The magician smiled and read over the cub's shoulder.

            "By Gum, a sime travel tell…uh, a time travel spell."

            "Really?" Buddi's eyes lit up "Neato!"

            Zummi smiled and read it over,

            "Amazing, a spell that allows you to control the time you go to and the tmount of time you're ahere…uh, the amount of time you're there."

            "Cast it!" Buddi was ecstatic!

            "Oh no, no, no Buddi…this is so complex.."

            "But…you're a magician!"

            Zummi stared at Buddi,

            "Buddi, you have another reason, don't you?"

            Buddi stopped a minute,

            "Ursa…she's a great guardian but I wish I could have seen my birth mother, even if it was only for a few minutes."

            Buddi looked at Zummi,

            "Zummi, please…it's a way. If you could-"

            "Buddi!"

            The cub turned, Ursa was in the doorway.

            "It's past your bedtime Buddi. Come on."

            "Okay Ursa, be there in five minutes."

            "Buddi!"

            The cub looked at her pleadingly,

            "Come on, Ursa, just five minutes?"

            "No."

            "Zummi wants to show me something really fast…promise five minutes!"

            The Barbic leader ground her teeth and then said,

            "All right, _five_ minutes, no more!"

            She trusted Buddi. Maybe she was also being lenient because this was a holiday. Not a Barbic holiday but a holiday nonetheless. Besides, it usually took him about five minutes to come anyway. She could allow him some extra time.

            Buddi turned to Zummi, eyes pleading. The magician gave up. He always caved under that look.

            "Transum…portoum Buddi toum-"

            "Buddi! Zummi, stop playing around with the foolish magic!"

            Gruffi's voice was agitated; apparently, he and Ursa had fought again.

            Buddi felt a sickness overwhelm him, a dizziness that made him slump to his knees. His hands began to flicker.

            "Zummi! What's going on?"

            The magician was swiftly hunting the Great book for an answer.

            "Zummi!"

            The magician nearly screamed. The cub was transparent and flickering in and out of reality. Buddi looked up and begged.

            "Help me…"

            Then, in a flash of golden light, he vanished.

            Zummi stood stunned a moment and then cried,

            "Buddi!"

* * *

            Buddi woke up slowly. He glanced around and demanded,

            "Where am I?"

            He spied two small forms approaching. He sat up. The oldest of the pair looked about nine, while the other was about six or so. The youngest was a female with deep red hair and a yellow tunic on. She had tan fur and her face had an aura of familiarity to it. The oldest was male and was deep coal black and he wore a brown tunic. Like the girl he was barefoot and had an atmosphere of familiarity around him.

            "Hey!" the girl ran to Buddi and demanded,

            "Who are you? Never seen you before!"

            Buddi rubbed his head, 

            "Long story."

            The girl stuck out her lower lip. Obviously not liking that answer, Buddi asked,

            "What's the date?"

            The girl laughed,

            "Ya don't get out much do ya?"

            The male cub sighed,

            "It's summer, duh."

            "I meant-"

            The girl broke in,

            "Mid summer, 1343, duh!"

            Buddi gasped and then stared at the girl…her eyes.

            "Ursa?"

            The girl was stunned for a brief moment. Then she recovered and demanded,

            "How do you know my name?"

            Buddi ignored her words. He couldn't believe it. Zummi's spell had taken him back twenty-seven years, when his Guardian was just six! Buddi jerked to the male cub. Those eyes…

            "Gritty?"

            Th black cub ground his teeth,

            "What? How do you know who we are? We've never seen you before!"

            "Ursa! Gritty!"

            The two cubs turned and Buddi gasped,

            "Grubbi!"

            The healer was a good twenty years younger. The Grubbi Buddi knew was fifty-six, this one was in his late twenties! He had shiner hair that he still had in a ponytail. His muscles were not as large and his frame was smaller. His eyes didn't have the knowledge Buddi was used to. Judging from his face, he had just recently become trained as a physician.

            Grubbi looked at this cub, stunned. He'd never seen the cub before but could tell that he was Barbic. His muscles had yet to develop, he looked about two years older than Gritty, around eleven. More that that, he was staring around stunned.

            "How do you know my name?"

            "I…I…' Buddi nearly answered and then swiftly remembered that if he told them who he was, that might very well alter the future, his present. He answered,

            "I…I've heard about you."

            Ursa snorted,

            "That isn't a good answer."

            _"Ursa…"_ Grubbi's voice was threatening. He raised an eyebrow and said,

            "I could easily contact your mother."

            The girl crossed her arms and pouted but said nothing more.

            Grubbi turned back to Buddi,

            "What's your name, son?"

            "Buddi."

            The cub kept staring at Ursa and Gritty, as if he knew them. Ursa didn't like it. She glared at Buddi. Buddi made no response and then finally said,

            "You're cute."

            Ursa stomped her foot against the ground. "Don't call me that!"

            Grubbi chuckled and said to Buddi, "Ursa-"

            "She's tough, I know." Buddi answered, "She's a warrior, not cute."

            Ursa seemed stunned; how could this cub read her so? But she smiled,

            "Yeah!"

            She glared at Grubbi, "But can I train…NO! They don't let me…no fair!"

            She glared at Gritty, "They let _him_," she added with a jerking of her thumb, "But not me."

            Grubbi sighed, "Ursa, you're not old enough yet. Gritty's training because he's nine. When you're nine, you can train."

            "Too long!"

            Buddi chuckled a little. Then he looked around at the trees some more. Oh Gum, it was true, this was Barbic Woods. His home…

            "Buddi?"

            The cub turned, Grubbi smiled. 

            "I need you to meet our leader, Gianni and our healer Theanrn. He needs to check you out. Just in case."

            Buddi nodded. Grubbi almost picked him up but the cub asked,

            "Can I use the vines to follow you?"

            Grubbi asked,

            "You can do that? You know how?"

            Buddi nodded. Ursa threw a fit.

            "How come he knows and I don't? You won't teach me!"

            Grubbi sighed, "Ursa…

            "It's not fair!"

            "Ursa!" the gummi snapped and grabbed her arm, "You're going the right way for a slapped behind."

            Ursa spat on the ground, "Not fair!"

            Gritty sighed deeply. He didn't know what to do when she did this except let her let her steam out. She didn't know how to let it out positively yet like he did. So she still threw tantrums. Grubbi let her scream a minute or two and then hissed,

            "Ursa Barbic, stop it!"

            Ursa made no outward sign she'd heard Grubbi. Buddi was stunned; no wonder Ursa kept pressing him to let his anger out right. She'd never been able to! Ursa stomped her feet down hard, screaming again for them to teach her,

            "Ursa Marie Barbic!"

            Grubbi stormed over to the girl, his patience worn out. She was only six but she needed to learn that she had to be patient.

            Grubbi snatched the girl around her waist and smacked her backside three times. She howled in pain but didn't cry. Grubbi sat her down and said,

            "If you keep that up, we'll never teach you!"

            Ursa sat down and pouted. She glared at Buddi.

            "Not fair."

            Grubbi put a hand on the young cub's shoulder,

            "Follow me."

Present 

            "What do you mean you don't know where he is?"

            Ursa's anger was clearly evident. Gritty pulled her back although he was almost as bad as Ursa was. Buddi was their future. Buddi was their only cub. And all the Barbics had come to look upon Buddi as their own although none as much as Ursa. Gritty and Grubbi came in second in closeness. 

            Zummi took a breath and said,

            "I don't know where he is. I dish I wid…uh I wish I did."

            Grammi walked over and grabbed Ursa's arm,

            "Land sakes, Ursa, calm down. You aren't gonna find Buddi any faster if you panic."

            Ursa turned to Grammi with every intent of telling her off, but the female gummi's eyes were so pleading, so begging, and Ursa bit down her words. 

            Zummi spoke again, "The spell got goofed."

            Gruffi rolled his eyes,

            "See? Every time you do magic things get screwed up even worse than before."

            Zummi narrowed his eyes,

            "Actually Gruffi, you interrupted the spell and that's what goofed it up."

            Ursa whirled to Gruffi with a look that could have killed the undead. Gruffi took on a firm position but inwardly feared her. He didn't fear her as a general rule but he knew that she looked upon that cub like a son and he feared an angry mother more than anything else.

            "Gruffi…" Gritty grabbed Ursa by her arms and told her,

            "Breathe, Ursa, Breathe."

            The Barbic female tried to calm her temper and ground her hands into tight fists. Gritty tightened his grip as he felt her muscles condense. Ursa took a breath and let her muscles fall limp again. She said simply,

            "You can let me go, Gritty."

            Her best friend reluctantly did so. She looked angry enough to throw Gruffi into next year. But she instead turned to Zummi.

            "If it was a spell, can't you undo it."

            "No, it's a sime travel tell…uh time travel spell."

            "Time travel?"

            Ursa's heart froze in her chest. Grammi grabbed her by her elbow and rubbed her hand.  For once, Ursa didn't reject. She merely kept her gaze on the magician.

            "Buddi wanted to see his birth mother. This spell I planned on letting him see her a few minutes. But Gruffi interrupted the spell before I could tell it what time and how long there. Gum knows _when_ Buddi is."

_1343_

            "Turn you head toward me, Buddi."

            The cub did as Theanrn asked. It felt odd and a bit scary for Buddi to have anyone but Grubbi examining him. But they didn't know him here and he couldn't reveal the future. So he tried to behave.

            "Okay, good boy. I think that's enough. I don't know where you're from but you're definitely Barbic."

            "A Barbic cub?"

            Buddi turned and saw a Barbic in the doorway he'd never seen before. He was a tan shade with a dark black tunic. A sword swung by his side. He walked in and introduced himself as Gianni, the Barbics' leader.

            Buddi just nodded. Gianni asked if Buddi would stay a while and the cub's reply was he wasn't sure. Buddi wasn't sure how this spell was working. He had no idea how long he'd be here. He just knew he wasn't supposed to be in this time, all he'd wanted was to see his mother for a few minutes, maybe an hour and then go home. He missed Ursa already. She was here but she was a child. He didn't want her as a child; he wanted her as an adult, a teacher. Someone who could tell him what to do.

            "Buddi?"

            It was Grubbi again, his younger version, 

            "Buddi, it's getting late, do you want to turn in or do you want to watch the adults a little while longer?"

            Buddi's yawn gave his answer. Grubbi chuckled and picked him up. He walked past Ursa's room on his way to Buddi's and walked in briefly. He sighed to himself,

            "I pity her mother, she's a little terror."

            Buddi giggled and looked at his guardian.

            She had her hair sprawled all her the pillow and she was slurping on her fingers. Her other arm was flung onto her headboard. Grubbi chuckled and pulled the comforter over her body. She made no reply.

            "She sleeps like a rock."

            Buddi merely smiled; it was uncanny how much he and Ursa were alike in different ways.

* * *

            Buddi watched Ursa play with gritty from the treetops. Ursa wasn't allowed to swing yet because she didn't know how. He longed for home, for familiar _adult_ faces.

            "Hey there, little one." An unfamiliar voice called.

            Buddi turned and saw a female Barbic, looking about thirty. She had deep red hair and wore a dark green tunic. Her feet had on ankle high boots and she was very tall, about as tall as Buddi's guardian. 

            "Who are you?"

            The female didn't reply, "Not important. Just wanted to see how you were. You've been here for how long?"

            "Six days."

            "I bet you miss your home?"

            Buddi nodded. He did miss it; he wanted to go home. Why wasn't Zummi undoing the spell to bring him back? He didn't care if Ursa yelled at him, he wanted to go home. By Gum, he was homesick.

            Buddi laughed to himself, he was in Barbic Woods and he was homesick.

            Ursa glanced outward, cautiously. Gritty had left to get something to drink. Ursa watched with envy. Gritty could swing, no fair. 

            Her ears picked up a sound. Looking outside the trees, she spied humans. She smiled, if she could force them off, maybe they'd teach her something. She crept forward with a child's enthusiasm.

            Buddi saw this and leapt up,

            "Ursa!"

            The female Barbic beside him jerked to attention at Ursa's name. She got up and saw what was going on. She screamed,

            "Ursa Marie Barbic! Get back here!"

            The girl either didn't hear her or ignored her. The Barbic turned to Buddi,

            "Stay here."

            Then she grabbed a vine and swung towards the inevitable fight.

            Ursa screamed and backed up. The humans were too strong. She covered her head with her hands. The blade never hit her. She opened her eyes.

            "Mommy!"

            The red haired Barbic turned around.

            "Go Ursa!"

            "Listen to your mother, Ursa," a male voice called. Ursa looked up and a tan furred Barbic male, shorter than her mother dropped down. He had on a green shirt and black slacks. He had his sword draw. It was Warrio.

            "Daddy!"

            Warrio turned to his mate and the two stood in front of their daughter. The female spun her sword around,

            "I don't know what you want, but you aren't laying a finger on my daughter."

            Buddi watched all this in shock when he realized whom he'd been talking to.

            "Una, Ursa's mother…my 'grandma'."

            Buddi watched the battle…it was tragically short.          

            Una and Warrio easily chased off most of the humans but two of them remained. One took note of Ursa still around. He threw his sword like a knife.

            Ursa froze, staring with wide eyes at the approaching blade.

            Una leapt in front of her daughter, taking the blade through her chest.

            Ursa screamed,

            "Mommy!"

            Warrio whirled when he heard his daughter's fierce cry. Seeing his felled mate, he let out a roar of anger and attacked. He fell one human and took the other one out but in return received a blade to the heart.

            "Daddy!"

            The retreated humans were returning. Ursa turned to her mother. The red haired Barbic smiled faintly,

            "Go little one. Go my Little Ursa."

            "But…Mommy…"

            Una forced herself up and kissed her daughter on the forehead. 

            "Go."

            Then Una died. Ursa let out a scream of pain. A hand grabbed her and yanked her into the trees. It was Gritty. Buddi watched this with tears streaming down his face. Ursa buried her face into Gritty's chest, saying over and over,

            "Mommy, Daddy! Mommy! Daddy!"

            An eerie feeling passed over Buddi. He began to flicker in and out. The spell was activating again. He looked at Ursa. An odd glimmer had taken her eyes. She stared at her dead parents and her eyes turned hard and cold, as an emotion rushed over her eyes; hate.

            Often many times, Buddi had seen that look, whenever he asked her why she hated humans so. She just answered,

            "They're humans, that's all you need to know."

            Now as Buddi recognized that glimmer in her eyes he knew why.

            "So, this is why. This where your hatred was born, Ursa."

            Then he flickered out of that time and into another.


	2. Chapter 2

"Nana Ursa!"

            Ursa, as a fifty-six year old turned and smiled as Ulisa ran to her. She knelt and hugged her 'granddaughter.' The girl was twelve now but still called her Nana Ursa. So did her sister, Tobi. Ursa didn't mind. They rarely came to her with problems now as they had when they were younger. Ursa smiled. 

            Her Buddi was now thirty-four and father to three, twin girls who were twelve and a three-year-old son named Warrio, after Ursa's father. Tobi was named after one of Sunni's ancestors and Ulisa was named after Ursa. Buddi and Sunni were pretty busy with the three year old but Gritty had said he'd give them a break and take all three cubs that night. The Barbics actually were raising the three together but it was Buddi's quarters they were near. 

            "Hey Ulisa, how are you?"

            The girl giggled, "Okay, but can't stay long. Just wanted to ask if you could help train me sometime this week. I asked Daddy and he said if you said yes."

            Ursa smiled, "Sure Little one. How's the day after tomorrow?"

            "Yes!"

            Ulisa beamed and kissed her Nana on the cheek,

            "Thanks, I gotta go. Bye!"

            Ursa chuckled. She was so cute. She loved all her grandchildren but Ulisa was the most like her. Warrio was a mix of Sunni and Buddi and Tobi was like her father, personality wise. Ursa stretched and decided to pay Buddi a visit. He was out by the river, thinking. It was a day's journey and he decided he needed a break so Gritty and Sunni told him they could handle it.

            Buddi relaxed, enjoying the peace. He loved all his kids but they did cause headaches every so often. Right when he thought he was comfortable, a flash made him open his eyes.

            The adult climbed to his feet and approached it cautiously. He didn't like to fight but if need be, he was fully trained and fully capable of defending himself. Ursa had trained him and he'd become an adult at nineteen years. He chuckled as he remembered that. Ursa had looked like she was going to cry.

            Buddi eased towards where he'd last seen the light and gasped.

            He was looking at himself.

            The cub he was looking at was eleven. Immediately Buddi's mind raced back twenty-three years. He remembered that this was the second stop in time, due to Zummi's malfunctioning spell. If his memory served him right, he'd just seen Una killed. The adult picked up his younger self, cradling him in his arms.

            Buddi walked back to camp and laid his younger self down. 

            "Buddi?"

            The younger gummi's eyes fluttered then opened.

            Buddi gasped as he took in the older bear's features. Sitting up, he demanded,

            "Who are you, where am I?"

            The older bear said simply, "Look at my face and tell me who I am."

            Buddi did so, peering into the male's eyes. He gasped and tumbled backwards, saying,

            "You're…you're me!"

            Buddi's older self nodded. He smiled, "Thirty-four to be exact, I'm your adult self."

            "Then I'm in the future, I'm not home!" his despair was quite plain. Buddi felt his older self gently squeeze him. The adult answered,

            "Yes you're in the future, the year thirteen-ninety-three."

            Tears of frustration filled Buddi's eyes. He wiped them away and hissed,

            "Why did I ask Zummi to cast this spell?"

            His older self smiled and tilted his head up,

            "Don't worry so much, it'll be okay."

            "I'll get home, right?"

            Buddi's older self nodded.

            Then, the older gummi picked Buddi up and said,

            "If I remember right the time jumps take a ton out of you. Why don't you rest a bit?"

            Buddi nodded faintly. He wanted to go home but knew he couldn't do a thing about it. So he let his older self carry him and then put him in his blanket he'd brought. Buddi inwardly knew he was too upset to sleep but if he could rest and calm down a little bit. His older self left him alone on the blanket and walked towards the fire.

            "Buddi!"

            The adult looked up and smiled,

            "Ursa."

            Buddi sat right up from the blanket and stared. It was! It was Ursa, older, but it was her. Buddi nearly ran to her, he was scared and horrified by what he'd just seen but he stayed back for a moment. His older self was talking.

            "Ursa, why are you down here?"

            "I thought I'd come by and see you. With your three cubs I hardly get a chance without cubs barging in."

            Buddi gasped. Him with three kids? With who?

            His older self spoke again,

            "Ursa, remember when Zummi's spell went high wire when I was eleven?"

            Ursa nodded, she'd been a wreck while he was gone, barely eating anything. The adult before her took a breath,

            "Well, here was one stop."

            Ursa stared at him a minute before it hit her,

            "You mean-"

            Buddi walked out as his older self gestured him towards them. Buddi stood before Ursa trying as hard as he could not fling himself into her arms. 

            Ursa stared at the tiny cub before her. It was Buddi, little eleven-year-old Buddi. She hadn't seen Buddi like this for almost twenty-three years. It was apparent he'd seen something he was frightened of. His eyes were red. Ursa had helped raise Buddi, his two daughters and now her 'grandson'. She knew what to do with a child in a state like this. And she felt no shame in doing it as no matter what time he was from, Buddi was her baby.

            She knelt and opened her arms. Buddi ran into them and flung his arms around her neck. He wasn't crying yet, but the tears were surfacing and soon they spilled down his cheeks. He wasn't used to seeing death. And now he had seen Una and Warrio die. He was only eleven. He was scared.

            Ursa rose, picking Buddi up as she did so. She cradled the cub close and then said,

            "Buddi, is this very far along the journey?"

            The adult shook his head,

            "Just the beginning, he has a ways to go."

            "What?" Buddi choked out and demanded of his older self, 

            "How many time jumps do I gotta go through?"

            The fully grown Barbic pushed his hair back under his hood and said,

            "I can't tell you that."

            Buddi growled in frustration. Ursa held him close to her. His tears were drying but he wanted her. Ursa didn't know how long he'd been away but knew that skipping through unknown times was enough to stress anyone out. He'd draw comfort wherever he could get it and since she was the maternal figure in his life, he'd draw it from her.

            "Buddi?"

            Ursa spoke to her cub's older self. Buddi was immediately alert. Ursa was fifty-six but her age had done nothing for her leadership skills, except it improved them. She went on,

            "I want you to go and tell Gritty and Grubbi. They're the ones we told about this trip through time."

            Buddi nodded and raced up towards Ursalia. When he was out of sight, Ursa turned to the small cub she held in her arms. He was calming but still clung to her as if his life depended on it. Ursa rubbed his hair.

            "Buddi?"

            The cub glanced up at her, his tears fading. She smiled at him and gently wiped them away with her thumb. She sat down on the ground, sitting on her knees. Buddi stood but didn't budge from her side. She asked softly,

            "Buddi? How long have you been gone?"

            "Today's my seventh day."

            Ursa bit her lip. "So, a week already."

            Buddi nodded and drew from her reluctantly. He wasn't her cub here. Besides, he had to keep calm, despite how much he wanted to break down. Ursa stood and took Buddi's small hand in hers. She whispered, mainly to herself,

            "I'd forgotten how tiny you were."

            That was true; Buddi'd been fully-grown for fifteen years. And he had gone through a grown spurt when he'd hit fifteen. The last time he'd been this small was on his twelfth birthday. A small spurt had boosted him an inch or two. 

            The two walked back, hand in hand. Buddi kept a firm grip as if he was afraid she would slip away. She smiled in return, but said nothing. By gum, she'd forgotten so much over the years, so many things she had taken for granted.

            "Ursa?"

            Buddi tugged on her dress and pointed across Ursalia's courtyard as they arrived. "Who's that?"

            Ursa turned her gaze to follow his and yelped in concern. He was pointing at Ulisa, his future first-born twin. Snatching his wrist, she hissed,

            "Never mind, come on."

            "But-"

            "Buddi, are you arguing with me?"

            Her voice was quiet, dangerously quiet. Buddi shook his head,

            "Sorry, I was just curious."

            Ursa smiled and ruffled his hair,

            "I know, you still are…your future self that is. He still needs some direction from us older ones."

            Buddi almost said more but Ursa guided him into the council room.

            Grubbi and Gritty were waiting. 

            Grubbi approached the cub and knelt,

            "I heard it but I didn't believe it."

            Gritty walked over to Ursa,

            "Buddi got back here as fast as he could. Ursa, what should we do? Buddi can't see Ulisa, Tobi or Warrio. Or his 'mate' either. And Terri and Cubbi were suppose to come tomorrow."

            Ursa bit her lip.

            "I'll have to keep him inside. He's tired anyway so that'll knock him out the rest of today but there's tomorrow…"

            Gritty nodded and looked over at the cub that had grabbed Grubbi around the waist was trembling. He was close to tears.

            Ursa sighed. Gritty stated his thoughts,

            "Poor thing."

            Ursa nodded, "He was a wreck when Zummi managed to reverse the spell. I thought he'd lost his will. I was afraid I'd never get him all the way back."

            She sighed deeply and then walked over to the cub,

            "Buddi, let's get you something to eat and then I think you deserve an early bedtime to try and relax."

            The cub nodded and took her hand again. She smiled and led him off down the hallway as Grubbi and Gritty went to retrieve Ulisa and Tobi for the night as well. It was nearly nine and they needed to get ready for bed. As swift as Buddi had come, it had been nearly eight when he finally arrived, Ursa and his younger self had arrived later.  

            The two sighed and headed out for the two Barbic cubs.

* * *

            Buddi laid down in the warm water and let it wash over his tired muscles. The time jumps for some reason zapped most of his strength that he didn't mind going to bed early. It was almost nine fifteen but he was exhausted. He was relieved he was in the future. He'd much rather be in the future than the past; here Ursa knew him.

            "Buddi?"

            The cub looked up over the water and called,

            "Yes?"

            "Are you almost done?"

            Buddi nodded, "I'm coming,"

            He stood and dried off before throwing on his nightshift. His older self had kept his old clothes for his children and loaned him one of his old ones. Letting the water out, Buddi opened the door. 

            Ursa greeted him. She smiled and guided him towards a spare room. It was directly next to hers. It was risky because his future self's quarters were a few doors down but she could see the fear in his eyes and wanted him near her. 

            "Ursa?"

            'What?" she replied as the cub obediently climbed into bed. She sat on the bed and fingered his hair. Buddi laid against her chest. Inhaling, he said,

            "Thanks for your help but…this isn't my time. I wanna go home."

            Ursa rubbed his back, "I know you do."

            Buddi looked at her and sighed, "I wish I'd never asked Zummi to cast that spell. I wanna go home, I wish I was in my own bed, I wish…"

            "Shh," Ursa titled his head up, "Nothing is going to be accomplished by wishing. Just hang in there, little one."

            "I know," he replied, closing his eyes, "I know but I also know your past self is probably going crazy…" he trailed off and his breathing began to turn heavy. 

            Ursa held him a moment, before saying,

            "Buddi, going crazy doesn't begin to describe it. I was hysterical."

Present 

            Ursa closed her eyes and laid her face into her palm. The clock in the Glen's main hall chimed two am. A hand placed itself onto her shoulder. Turning, Grammi smiled at her sympathetically.

            "Ursa, dear, you should sleep."

            The Barbic shook her head, "Would only be a waste of my time, I can't sleep when Buddi's Gum knows where."

            Grammi sighed deeply and sat down across the table from the Barbic.

            "Ursa, you can't do anything right now. Making yourself sick with worry won't help…"

            "I'm fine!"

            Grammi grabbed Ursa by her cheeks, surprising both Barbic and glen. 

            "Don't lie to me, Ursa. I know you love that boy as much as if he was your own flesh and blood. I haven't known you very long but that gleam in your eyes when you saw Igthorn had him told it all."

            Grammi smiled at her, "Ursa, it's been ten days. I know for a fact you've barely eaten anything. What's Buddi gonna say when he comes back and finds you skinny as a stick?"

            Ursa made no reply but rolled her hands into tight fists,

            "Buddi…"

            She rose and walked towards the library,

            "I'll rest when Buddi's back in my arms, not a moment before."

_1393_

            Buddi watched the cubs play in the courtyard. He'd been in this time for four days. Generally he stuck by Ursa but Ursa was busy today. He couldn't go outside, Ursa forbade it. Buddi's attention was focused on one cub in particular. She had the same color fur as he did and a patch over one of her eyes. Her hair was blond and cut to her shoulders. She wore a green tunic with a belt with a golden bear clasp face. She had an attitude that reminded Buddi of Ursa but she also had a love for music that reminded him of himself.

            "Bored?"

            Buddi turned and saw a girl he'd never seen before. She was about twelve and looked like Ulisa except her patch was on her opposite eye and her hair was longer and in a ponytail. Her dress was green as well but she didn't have a belt and she wore boots like Sunni's. Buddi glanced at her and then at Ulisa.

            The girl chuckled, "Ulisa's my twin sister. I'm Tobi."

            She sat down. "I'm supposed to be training but that's not for me. Give me my music any day."

            "What do you play?"

            Tobi smiled, "a flute."

            Buddi smiled, "Me too."

            Tobi smiled back, "I know."

            Buddi looked at her, "How? I've never seen you before."

            Tobi shrugged, "Na-uh, Ursa told me to stay away from you but I don't know why. Adults are weird."

            Buddi giggled. This girl made sense! It was the first time he'd laughed since that stupid spell was cast. Tobi almost said more when-

            "Tobi Barbic!"

            Whirling, Tobi swallowed,

            "Ursa…" she had to remind herself not to call her Nana Ursa in front of Buddi. Buddi was her father but his past self couldn't know or it might very well disrupt the future. While her twin and little brother were impulsive, Tobi had inherited her father's planning abilities. 

            "Tobi, go to Gritty, I'll deal with you in a minute."

            "But-"

            "Go, young lady."

            As she walked out, Ursa smacked her backside once. She yelped involuntarily. Ursa almost followed when Buddi asked,

            "Ursa?"

            She turned around. Buddi glanced at her with inquisitive eyes.

            "Who is she?"

            Ursa sat down and said,

            "Her name's Tobi. That's all you need to know."

            "But…"

            "That's all I'm telling you."

            Buddi pouted, "I hate being left in the dark."

            Ursa chuckled, "I know you do."

            Buddi sighed. "She's a lot like me, isn't she?"

            "I suppose." Inwardly Ursa laughed, Tobi and Buddi were very much alike. Tobi was a major Daddy's girl. In fact both the twins were. Warrio was more of a Mama's boy. She looked upward. She prayed that Tobi's little intrusion had not altered the future significantly.

            "Ursa…"

            She felt Buddi tug on her shirt. Turning, she gasped.

            "Buddi!"

            He was fading right before her eyes. He grasped for her hands but his were like a mist and passed right through hers.

            'Buddi!"

            "Another time jump," he gasped out. It was hard to breathe as he was being switched through time. He looked at Ursa with tears in his eyes,

            "I'm scared, Mama Ursa. I'm scared."

            Ursa tried to hug him but her arms passed through him. He pressed as close to her as he could get. Ursa couldn't very well blame him for being scared. She merely told him,

            "It'll be alright. I promise. My past self will be there when you get home."

            She held her arms over him until he faded from that time.


	3. Chapter 3

Present 

            "Ursa?"

            Gritty pressed through the Glen's corridors, seeking out his best friend. She was his leader and generally in moments like this he kept his distance knowing her to prefer to be alone. But while she was his leader, she was first and foremost his friend. 

            "Ursa?"

            He poked his head into the main hall and only saw Grammi.

            "Grammi? Have you seen Ursa?"

            The female glen looked up and nodded, 

            "Poor dear, she's worried to an unhealthy level. Gritty, I'm afraid she'll make herself sick."

            The smoky furred gummi nodded, "I know Grammi, that's why I'm looking for her. Maybe I can calm her down."

            Grammi smiled, "I hope so, for goodness' sake. Last time I saw her, she was headed for the library."

            Gritty nodded, "thanks." With that he headed in that direction. He spied her as soon as he walked into the room. She was sitting still in one of the chairs, her face buried in her hands. She looked miserable. He walked in and put his hands on her shoulders.

            "Hey Gritty," she said before she even lifted her head. He sighed deeply.

            "Ursa? You need to cool it."

            Ursa glared at him out of the corner of her eye,

            "Gritty, it's been almost two weeks. How can I 'cool it'?"

            "Eating would help."

            Ursa sighed deeply and gave no reply. Instead she glanced down at her hands. Gritty followed her gaze. 

            Ursa turned Buddi's flute over in her hands, rubbing the cool metal. She had not known it was possible to feel so much pain. It wasn't physical pain that could be treated; this pain was in her heart. It felt like someone had tore her heart apart. She drew Buddi's flute up to her chest, pressing it into her torso.

            "Ursa?"

            Gritty turned her face towards his. Her skin was a sickly grey-white. Her eyes had long since turned blood shot. She hardly got any sleep; the sleep she had gotten was disturbed. She could almost hear Buddi calling for her. She was his mother. She was supposed to protect him. And she wasn't there for him.

            Ursa looked at her friend and then rose, saying,

            "What?"

            Gritty wrapped his arms around her, surprising her. Barbics were not big huggers. They had the gesture of friendship, grabbing another by the elbow and squeezing, but they did not generally hug and even more rarely did they kiss. Ursa was six when her parents died but only remembered her mother kissing her once, her father twice. 

            "You think you're the only one worried?" Gritty asked her simply. "I'm worried about Buddi too. But he's all right. He's got Ola's blood. And he was raised by you."

            Gritty paused. Ursa said nothing, so he went on. "Besides, that kid's smart."

            Ursa spoke in a monotone, "But he's a child. He doesn't have the experience that we have."

            "Of course not. But how do you think he'll get it if he doesn't go through trials?"

            "Gritty!" her tone was sharp. "Gum Above, he's just eleven! He shouldn't be alone! The Barbic way is that he is guided through experiences! We're supposed to be there…"

            She tugged at her hair. Gritty smiled at her sadly. He grabbed her by her cheeks. Ursa looked at him with empty eyes. There was no life in them; it was as if someone had taken away her reason for living. 

            "Ursa, listen to yourself. You're hysterical."

            "I am not!"

            She slapped his hands away from her. Glaring at him, she stormed away and said,

            "If you're not gonna help, shut up."

            That said she left. Gritty sighed deeply.

            "Ursa…"

_1420_

            "See you in a week, right?"

            Ursa nodded and stole a glance in the mirror. She was aging. She sighed deeply. 

            Gritty laughed and plucked some of the hairs around her temples. They were silver, not her dirty blond. Ursa glared at him, not amused. She didn't like being reminded of her age. She was still the Barbics' leader but was getting old, even for gummi standards. They lived about three hundred years but she was almost a hundred. She was just as fast and agile as she had been in her early youth however.

            "Tell Tobi hi for me, alright?" Gritty said, shifting the subject. Ursa smiled. Her grandchildren had since grown up. Tobi and Ulisa were approaching their fortieth birthday and Warrio was almost thirty-one. Tobi had waited and had just had her first child. They had named the girl Rei. 

            Unlike her sister Ulisa, who had had twins at twenty-five and then a second set of twins at thirty-five, Tobi had said she wanted to wait. Ulisa had remained in Ursalia. Ursa now had four great-grandchildren, two fraternal twins a boy and girl, and two fraternal twin girls. The youngest was Jacki.

            Ursa chuckled. Ulisa was pregnant again. But she had stated firmly that this was it, no more. She was tired of being pregnant, she said. Ulisa had grown up and decided to keep her Barbic heritage while her twin decided to reclaim her mother's glen heritage. That's where Ursa was headed. She had to see her great-granddaughter. Buddi was already there. Ursa smiled and then sighed. It was hard to believe that her cub was a grandfather.

            "I'll tell her hi."

            She left the room, giving her friend a wink as goodbye.

* * *

            A sharp cold at his feet brought Buddi back to the waking world. He blinked and then sat up. His feet were in the river and had obviously been there quite some time, as he could no longer feel them. The cub pulled them out and started to rub them. 

            A low growl made Buddi look around. It was dark, about ten PM, judging by the moon. The cub swallowed and slowly stood. It was too dark to see much of anything. Buddi had naturally good eyes as well and yet there wasn't enough light. 

            That same growl resonated again. Buddi drew his dagger from his belt. Looking around, her spied a cave off to the side. The cub ran into it and then spying two rocks, he swiftly made a small fire, using torn bits of his tunic and a handful of twigs he found around the cave's entrance. 

            Buddi was used to someone being there to care for him when he arrived in a strange time but now that there was no one, Ursa's lessons on survival kicked into effect. It was late and if he was inside some sort of shelter then he would be warmer. 

            Buddi looked around and then walked outside for a moment. He spied a sapling and wrenched off one of the thicker branches. He winced as he did so; he hated hurting any tree, as when he was younger in Barbic Woods, the trees were his playmates.

            Buddi returned to his cave and tied some torn material off his shirt around the branches' end. Twisting it into the fire, he soon had an active torch. In the time in which most would still be trying to generate flame, Buddi had a torch ready. Ursa had taught him several tricks to make a fire quite quick. 

            Buddi took a glance backward into the back of the cave. He didn't see anything but walked a bit further back anyway. The cave was dripping. Buddi wiped the water from the back of his neck. It was cold and he longed to go back to his fire but he had to make sure no wild animals were near because he only had a small dagger for a weapon and his wits.

            Thankfully, the cub found nothing. He originally thought to go back to his fire but when he arrived saw that it had gone out. The child inwardly hated being so close to the outside. It made him insecure. For some reason, the further back in the cave he went, the safer he felt. 

            Buddi grabbed some twigs and stones and headed backwards to the very back of the cave. As Buddi walked, he found a small hole in the wall, not very big but it was about the size of a small closet. The cub squeezed through the small opening and emerged into a closet sized chamber. He liked this little 'room' so to speak as he felt even more secure. The boy arranged the stones and swiftly started another fire. He would have to put it out soon, even as near to the entrance as it was.

            Lying down by it, he tried to ignore the cold in his body. The fire was a lifesaver but he was uncomfortable. He would have gladly traded his flute for a blanket of some sort. But eventually exhaustion overwhelmed anything else.

* * *

            "Jacki!" 

            The five year old turned and giggled. Gritty trailed after her. His once smoky black fur had turned to a lighter black, nearly grey. He was three years Ursa's senior, which made him the second eldest Barbic, after Grubbi. 

            "Ya gotta catch me first Pappa 'Itty." The cub gurgled before taking off. Gritty sighed out loud. Jacki looked like Ulisa and had acquired her attitude as well. Her twin, Ali, was more like her grandfather. 

            Jacki pushed her dirty blond hair behind her ears. Unlike her twin who loved her long hair, the second Jacki's hair had stretched beyond her shoulders she had it hacked off. Her hair was a dirtier blond than her mother's and it was uncannily like her great-grandmother, Ursa's. They said the color came from her grandmother, Sunni's roots. Her fur was the same shade as her mother's, a light brown. Like her mother and grandfather, Jacki had darker fur patches but she had one on each eye, rather than one on one eye. She wore a change in outfits from her mother who although a tomboy had wore a dress. Jacki was content with black slacks and an oversized purple shirt. Jacki loved a challenge and despite the rules, few as they were, she never wasted time in breaking them. It was tiring for her parents, grandparents and even her surrogate great-grandmother. But while her mother was very impatient, her grandfather and great-grandmother were always on her side. Oh she didn't hate her mother, quite the opposite but she could better connect with her grandparents and great-grandmother.

            Jacki was well known for her Barbic like attitude. She had mostly Barbic blood as had her mother. However, unlike her mother, who like Ursa and the other 'first-generation' Barbics of Ursalia despised humans, Jacki had an opinion of them like her grandfather, Buddi. Both of them saw them as potential threats but also as potential allies. The two did not judge them by their species but rather by the soul of each individual. 

            "Jacki!"

            The girl turned and saw Gritty just behind her. She broke into a run and bounded into Gordon Gulge. Darting from different angles, she thanked the agility she had received from her grandfather. Gritty would eventually catch her but it would take him a few minutes. 

                Jacki ran down towards her special cave. Arriving she saw that a burned out fire was present. She crept closer, following the small tracks she saw in the dirt. She was already told the basics of tracking. As she went further back, a form leapt down in front of her.

            "Hey!"

            Jacki swung her fist automatically but a stronger hand stopped it easily. She looked up and saw an eleven-year old child.

            "Who're you?"

            "Buddi."

            Jacki growled, "You are not! Buddi's my grandfather!"

            Buddi backed up. He was in the far future and this girl was his…granddaughter?

            Immediately Buddi said to himself, "Consider other possibilities." This girl did look like him but…

            "Who are your great-grandparents?"

            "By blood or by love?"

            "Uh…both."

            "By blood, Ola and Bilo. By love Ursa. Why?"

            Buddi's heart stopped. This was his granddaughter. Buddi felt his knees grow weak and for a minute he thought he would throw up. But he couldn't let her know that he was her grandfather. He took a deep breath.

            "You have any siblings?"

            "Why?"

            "You seem like a neat kid. I want to know more about you. Like maybe your name?"

            "Jacki," the girl answered simply. "I've got a twin sister Ali, two older siblings, one brother and one sister. And I've got another on the way." 

            Buddi whistled through his teeth and Jacki giggled. "I know."

            Jacki felt at ease now, she liked this kid.

            "How long have you been here?" she demanded. Buddi sighed,

            "A few days, I lost count."

            Jacki snuck closer and asked, "How old are you? What about your family?'

            "I…my mother's…" Buddi paused. He couldn't let her know he was her grandfather. He didn't know what that might do. He finally decided on Ursa's middle name, "Marie."

            "Weird gummi name." Buddi shrugged. 

            "You got any brothers or sisters?"

            "No."

            "Lucky."

            Buddi shrugged, "I guess."

            Jacki smiled brightly,

            "Wanna go explore the river?"

            Buddi smiled, "Sure."

            Jacki took off in a run, with Buddi jogging behind her. Gritty was probably telling her mother so she wanted to have some fun before she got caught. She finally stopped by the shore and pointed down stream where the aqueduct was. 

            "How about over there? The adults were talking about something broken they hafta fix. Wanna check it out?"

            "Why not?"

            Buddi was just eleven; that sounded fun to him. He decided to try and find out some more about this girl. 

            "So Jacki, you live in Ursalia?"

            "Yep, so did my mother. My grandfather and great-grandmother moved here when Barbic Woods fell. I wish I knew what it was like." Buddi's mind was jerked back several months and tears fell down his cheeks. He was still homesick. The first month after they'd moved to Ursalia, it had been terrible. For the first week, he didn't play and barely ate anything. Ursa had been miserable herself but had snapped out of it to take care of him. Gradually the pain faded but it was always there.

            Buddi shook himself from his memories and asked,

            "Do you grandparents and great-grandparents tell you about it?"

            Jacki nodded, "Yep, Nana Ursa has funny stories to tell me about my grandfather."

            "Where did Nana Ursa come from?"

            "My grandfather called her Mama Ursa when he was little so we decided to call her Nana Ursa. My mother calls her Nana Ursa too."

            Buddi took all this in and followed Jacki up around a section of the aqueduct. She had stopped so Buddi asked,

            "Who's the leader of the Barbics?"

            "My Nana Ursa. She has been since we came to Ursalia, about forty years ago. My grandfather was just a cub, about your age, I guess. He met my grandmother after he moved to Ursalia."

            Buddi was tempted to ask whom his future wife was but decided not to. Instead, he asked,

            "Do you have great-grandfather?"

            "Not really but I consider Gritty to be. He and Ursa are best friends."

            Buddi smiled. So, Gritty _would_ always be there for her. Jacki chuckled,

            "I call him Pappa Gritty, same as my mother does. Grubbi's just Grubbi though. Sometimes I'll call him Doc Grubbi. He's still our medic."

            Buddi started to enter the broken section of the aqueduct but then slumped down. His hands began to flicker.

            "Jacki!"

            She turned and screamed.

            "What's wrong with you?"

            "I'm caught in a spell, I'm being pulled to a different time."

            Jacki took this in. "Then if you aren't from this time…you really _are_ my Grandfather!"

            Buddi smiled in reply. "Jacki, you shouldn't go in here by yourself. I mean, if I was still here, fine because I know where you are but…"

            Jacki crawled out and looked at her grandfather's past self. Asking reluctantly,

            "Buddi?"

            "Yep?"

            "How did you feel when Barbic Woods fell? I'm scared to ask your present self, I think maybe it'll hurt him too much. He doesn't like to talk about when it actually fell."

            Buddi shuddered, "I'm reluctant myself. But…"

            He pulled air in and knew he only had a moment or so before he vanished.

            "It was a blade through the heart."

            Tears streamed from his face. "It was someone yanking my soul out. For a week I was in so much pain, Ursa had to practically force food into me. But the pain dulled. Slowly, but it dulled." He looked at Jacki. He smiled,

            "Ask him. And ask Nana Ursa too. She saw the battle. She commanded the battle."

            Then Buddi took a final glance at his granddaughter, knowing it would be over thirty years before he saw her again. Then he flickered away back into the sea of time.


	4. Chapter 4

_1361_

            Ursa pulled back her light blond hair and went into the room across from her own. She smiled and gently picked up the cub who looked up at her with inquisitive eyes. She smiled down at the small two year old. She was almost twenty-five and yet was a mother. Not by blood but a mother nonetheless.

            The child greeted her with a 

            "Mama 'Sa!"

            She smiled. "Hey Baby. Ready to get up and play?"

            The cub nodded. She held him on her hip and said,

            "I think you need a fresh diaper first then you can play."

            The cub pouted but made no other reply. She laid the cub down on the changing table and then smiled as Gritty came in. He winked at her. 

            "Off to an early start?"

            "Cubs don't know the meaning of late start." She responded although there was not a trace of anger in her voice. She changed the cub's diaper swiftly, as she was an expert at it by now and motioned for gritty to get her some of his clothes. He did so and then said,

            "So Fearless Leader, what's on the agenda today?"

            Ursa swallowed. She'd only been leader for about two years, becoming one the night Buddi was born. She still wasn't sure how she was doing but so far no one had criticized her, which was always a good thing. 

            She shrugged, "well since I don't have anything specific planned, the usual."

            Gritty chuckled. "You're gonna be playing with Buddi."

            She nodded. Buddi looked at her with wide shimmering eyes. She smiled. Turning to gritty, she said, 

            "Tell Grubbi we'll be along for breakfast in a few minutes okay?"

            Gritty nodded and exited. As he walked out over the platform, a light caught his attention. He grabbed hold of a vine and swung down to locate the source. He found it as a small brown cub, clinging to one of the branches. The boy gathered his balance and swung up to sit on one of the branches. 

            Gritty swung nearer. The cub was a Barbic child, perhaps eleven or ten years of age. But there was a familiarity about him that the warrior knew was there but could not pinpoint. Not wanting to frighten the cub, he called,

            "Hey!"

            Buddi turned. He recognized that voice. Gritty! He stood and then gasped. Gritty was younger and was gazing at him curiously with two shining eyes. Two eyes…

            "G..gritty?"

            The Barbic tumbled back; stunned the small child knew his name. His eyes narrowed.

            "Who are you?"

            Buddi swallowed. He couldn't give his real name. He backed up, trembling. Every inch of him wanted to leap into the adult's arms especially after not seeing anyone he knew for the last seven days. That last time had been agonizing. 

            Gritty looked at the cub with questioning eyes. The child was looking at him like he knew him. But the child made no reply just kept looking at the black Barbic. Gritty finally said,

            "Are you going to answer?"

            Buddi finally found his voice. It was strange…Gritty had been without one eye as long as Buddi could remember. He spoke and said,

            "I…I'm…Timba." He finally decided, using his middle name. Something he'd learned about lying, as infrequently as he did it, was that those lies that are based in truth are generally the most believable.  
            Gritty looked at him and said,

            "Well, maybe you should meet our leader." He had a feeling the cub was lying but he didn't seem dangerous. Besides, they only had one cub and that was little baby Buddi. Finding another was worth the risk. He walked over the branches, calling to the preteen cub,

            "Come on."

            Buddi nodded and followed the adult into the nearest hut.

            "Hey Ursa!'

            Buddi gasped. Ursa was so much younger but that wasn't the shock. She turned from a high chair. A brown furred cub sat in it, face smeared with food. He reached for her but Ursa held a hand up, to say she'll be right back. The cub snarled but did not make another reply.

            She spied the child by Gritty's left leg. Kneeling, she said with a smile,

            "Well, who's this?"

            Buddi stared at her. Every piece of his body screamed to leap into her arms. But he held himself back. Her younger self didn't know he was. She certainly was not one to reveal feelings to even those she held dear, let alone to a child she, in this time anyway, had never met. So while he was in pain from loneliness he remained where he was.

            Gritty answered, "He said his name's Timba."

            Ursa could tell from Gritty's tone that he didn't believe the child. Still such a small cub was not likely to be much of a threat.

            "Mama 'Sa!"

            Ursa turned and saw Buddi was beating on his tray, and then held his arms up, his sign that he wanted up. She walked over and lifted the small child into her arms. He leaned deep into her chest and glared at the new child.

            Buddi stared at his younger self. He was a slob. Buddi did some quick math in his head. The cub in Ursa's arms looked about two. That would mean the year was in the early thirteen sixties. 

            Ursa walked back over to the other child. "Well, Timba, where did you come from?"

            "Leave!" Buddi hissed, swiping at his older self. Ursa rebuked the cub in her arms.

            "Buddi!"

            The toddler ignored her and squirmed from her arms. He stormed over to the older cub, snarling,

            "Out! Go 'Way!"

            Ursa hissed, "Buddi Barbic! You stop that right now!" she knelt and grabbed the toddler's arm. Buddi swatted her arm away and spat, "No!" 

            He turned back to the preteen child and kicked his shin. It didn't really hurt but was enough to cause some discomfort. Buddi rubbed his leg and looked at his younger self. The toddler hissed,

            "Go 'WAY!" then the child took off from the room. Ursa followed, shouting,

            "Buddi Barbic!"

            Buddi stared after the cub, awestruck. He…he was a brat!

            Gritty put a hand on the cub's shoulder.

            "Buddi's going through his Terrible Twos right now. He's pretty possessive of Ursa."

            The preteen nodded and rubbed his shin one more time. He shook his head. What a little twerp he'd been!

            Ursa came back in, carrying a squirming child in her arms. The cub was howling his head off. Gritty and Buddi winced but Ursa had no reaction. She glared at the two year old and hissed,

            "Say you're sorry."

            "No!"

            "Buddi!"

            "No! Don't gotta!"

            "You're trying my patience."

            "No!"

            Ursa finally said,

            "Fine then you can sit in your room until you decide to."

            "NO!"

            He kicked and screamed the whole way. After she had left him in the room and shut the door, she could still hear him. Buddi winced. Gum Above, what had been his problem? Gritty said he was pretty possessive of Ursa. Ursa and Gritty often teased him in his present time about how he'd been as a baby. Buddi would always blush and leave when they started to do that. He told them over and over he hated to hear about it. Now he smiled. Maybe that was there way of getting revenge. He certainly deserved it.

            "-mba?"

            Buddi jerked to attention when Ursa called his middle name. To her it was just his name but he had trained his ears to jump to attention whenever she said his middle name. It usually meant he was in trouble or that she was getting impatient.

            "Yes?"

            Ursa smiled and knelt by him. "You never answered me. Where did you come from?"

            "I was born in Barbic Woods. But we had to leave for a while, now I'm just back for a bit."

            Every bit of that was true. He had to leave Barbic woods when it fell. Now he was back but he had no notion of how long or short it would be. If he had an idea, he could easily have invented a better excuse but he didn't. That one would have to do. 

            Ursa exchanged a glance with Gritty. He nodded, his way of saying that the cub seemed all right. Ursa smiled.

            "Well Timba, I'm going to have to stay with Buddi for most of the day but after I put him down for a nap, I'd like to get to know you better. How's that?"

            Buddi only nodded. She smiled at him and he saw faint dimples in her cheeks. He never noticed before because she rarely smiled. His body still wanted her. He wanted to hug her, fling his arms around her neck and cry into her shoulder. He was lonely. He only had the other Barbics left after Barbic Woods was destroyed; Ursa more than any other, even Gritty. Gritty was pretty close to him as was Grubbi but nothing compared to Ursa. She was a mother, _his_ mother.

            Buddi choked down a sob. He wanted them so badly. He'd never realized how much Ursa's presence meant to him. She was always there for him to go to. When he was sick, she would help him and when he got hurt even though she scolded, she'd always heal it. She was a strong wall he leaned to. 

            "Timba?'

            Buddi looked up. Ursa looked at him with confused eyes.

            "I hafta go now and try to calm Buddi down. Why don't you-"

            "Can I play in the trees?" his voice had a desperate plea to it. Ursa smiled, 

            "Sure. Just be careful."

            Buddi ran outside and gazed around. Maybe this spell wasn't just to torment him. Maybe, just maybe it was to help him heal. He'd lost his home a little over five months ago. Seeing it again…

            Buddi ran out to the edge of the hut's balcony, snatched a vine and swung off, for the first time since the journey, thanking Gum he'd asked Zummi to cast it.

Present 

            Ursa was anything but happy. It had almost been two months…Buddi's birthday was approaching and yet Zummi was no closer than when he'd begun. It made Ursa's heart burn. She missed Buddi. She'd have given anything to have him back in her arms. 

            "Ursa?"

            The Barbic turned, and sighed, "Hello Grammi."

            The adult Glen looked the other female over. She was very thin and her face had paleness to it. Those shining eyes had since lost their shimmer and now were just vacant dots. She looked miserable. She had scanned the Great Book from cover to cover, looking for anything to help. She'd come up empty. 

            Grammi spoke, "Ursa, please, dear, get something to eat."

            Ursa sighed, "No Grammi. I can't eat."

            Grammi sighed, "Ursa you're dropping weight."

            Ursa shook her head, "I am not. I'm just fine."

            Grammi almost said more but knew nothing she said would make any difference. She was stubborn but Ursa was worse.

            Ursa walked off into the distance. She felt terrible. Her Buddi…her poor cub. He was too young to have to deal with this. He wasn't meant to be lost in time. He should have been outside playing. He should have been getting into trouble. He should have been anywhere but where he was.

            "Ursa?"

            The Barbic Leader turned. Gritty was coming up behind her, his eyes piercing. He put a hand on her shoulder. She had not even realized she began to wobble. But her pride told her that was a weakness. Her eyes narrowed.

            "Stop worrying about _me_!" her voice was coarse but she made no reaction to that. Rather she took a swallow of air and hissed, "I'm not the concern factor! Buddi is who you should be worried about!"

            Gritty looked at her, concern in his eyes. She looked terrible. He couldn't even believe she had the ability to stand, let alone rave as she was. But her thoughts were not on her health or well-being. They remained on Buddi and on Buddi alone.

            "Ursa," gritty held her steady and looked at her firmly. "Ursa, you're not going to find Buddi if keep acting like this."

            "Gritty! Buddi's our future! He's the _only_ future our clan has!" she trailed off and her eyes looked beaten, worn, tired. "And…and he's _my_ cub! Has been since he was born. It doesn't matter I didn't give birth to him. He's my cub. Do you know what I'm going through?" 

            Gritty bit his lower lip. This wasn't like his friend. This wasn't the strong warrioress he was used to. This was a broken spirit. She took a breath and demanded, her eyes blazing.

            "Do you know what it's like not to know where he is? To not know if he's scared, hurt, or sick?" she yanked Gritty to her by his left arm, rather roughly. Her grip made Gritty's muscles protest; it was so tight. 

            "Gritty we have to get him back. We…I…I.. have to…"

            She collapsed in front of him, as her eyes rolled backward. Gritty caught her easily. She was light. But he was worried; this scared him.

            "Ursa? Ursa?"

_1361_

            "You mine!"

            Ursa sighed deeply. "Buddi, you'll always be first. But don't you wanna know who this cub is?"

            "No! You mine!"

            Ursa looked at Buddi as he locked his arms around her neck. Ursa sighed deeply. Buddi was so close to her. Grubbi assured her that it was a phrase and that he'd outgrow it. She hoped so. Being that close couldn't be healthy.

            Ursa sat down in the rocking chair and started to sway back and forth. The cub in her arms calmed and snuggled close into her chest, sucking on his fingers. She started to hum a gentle tune, one she used to make him fall asleep. He usually didn't have to be rocked to bed anymore but with the way he had been throughout the day; she figured he'd need it.

            Buddi watched from the door. He didn't remember her ever doing that. But then he was probably wasn't old enough to. Still…

            He gazed in again. He felt his eyes burn with tears unshed and his vision turned cloudy. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He missed Ursa. She never did that with him and honestly he was glad, as he was too old for that! But she did come in every night to tell him goodnight, which was something she didn't have to do. Buddi remembered that for a good week after Barbic Woods had been lost, he'd fallen to sleep with tears streaming down his cheeks. The door would always open then and Ursa would come in and talk to him. She didn't scold, which was surprising, but told him to be brave.

            Buddi's throat clogged as he thought of the way she would wrap her arms around his chest and then hold him for a bit. As time went by, Buddi'd gotten more accepting but she would still come. He missed her. 

            Ursa rose and laid the sleeping toddler in his crib. Buddi watched her as she gazed down on his younger self. She traced one of the child's cheeks. Buddi watched with envy. He wished for Ursa with all his heart, praying that maybe he would wake up and find out this whole thing was a nightmare.

            He didn't. Turning from the scene, the cub ran out into the night, leapt over the balcony's railing, caught a hanging vine and scrambled up into the canopy. He didn't know where he was going and quite honestly, he didn't care. 

            The cub stopped by one of the tree trunks near the top. He leaned his cheek against the rough bark and let the tears come. They were silent but steady. He sank to his knees, trembling as sobs burst from his body. Being alone, accompanied with the fact he had to figure things out on his own and he was unable to, and being home when he had just begun to heal, combined and his heart broke. He just cried and cried.

            "Timba?"

            The cub turned. Gritty looked at him. 

            'Oh, Gritty…"

            "What's wrong?"

            The cub sighed. "Nothing, just miss my mom." He figured that was a decent answer. 

            "Who is your mom?"

            Buddi swallowed but answered truthfully, "Ola."

            Gritty's eyes narrowed. "Ola only has one cub! And she died. Don't give that!"

            Buddi backed up. Gritty looked at him angrily. Buddi looked around, not focusing on the adult's face. He could feel Gritty's eyes on him. But he didn't say anything. Gritty said nothing more but left.

            Buddi sighed. Gritty probably figured he'd been making fun of Ola's death. He hadn't. He was just sick and tired of having to tell lies. For once he wanted to be truthful. 

            The cub glanced upward into the trees. Now Ursa would probably not welcome him. They now had proof that he was a liar, at least by their present information. He didn't want to see those untrusting faces. He slumped down and buried his face into his arms.

            "Someone, help me. I wanna go home! Ursa, I want you! Help me! Mama Ursa…"

            He felt that familiar tingle rush through him as he began to fade away. He sighed, 

            "Now when are we going? What time am I gonna wind up in now?"

            When this had begun, he had been hopeful, wondering if perhaps Zummi would have him back in about a week or two. Now it had been almost…he shook his head. It had been too long; he'd lost count. 

            His hope was dead. The cub sat and said softly,

            "Just take me wherever you want. I don't care. I give up."

            No one saw him vanish.


	5. Chapter 5

Present 

            Gritty folded a washcloth in half and laid it on Ursa's forehead. She was hot with fever. He had always thought that 'worry yourself sick' was just a saying. Apparently it was more than that. She had caught something. She was weak from malnutrition. Her temperature was above normal. He could tell by the touch. 

            Ursa stirred a bit and tried to sit up. Gritty pushed her down. She hissed,

            "Let me up."

            "Uh-uh," he shook his head. "You're not strong enough," 

            Ursa cursed under her breath and fought against Gritty's grip. But her strength was diminished by her lack of food and she was naturally weaker than Gritty. Her strength was easily crushed. 

            "Gritty! Let me up! That's an order!"

            Gritty shook his head. "No."

            Ursa growled and dug her claws into his hand. Small droplets of blood appeared but not much. Her voice sounded coarse but defeated.

            "Please…let me up. I hafta find Buddi."

            "Not in that condition." He rubbed her hot forehead. "You've got a fever, Ursa. You can't get up now. I won't let you."

            "No one _lets_ me do anything." She narrowed her eyes dangerously, "Gritty, you've been ordering me around for the past few weeks! WHO'S the leader of this clan? Huh?"

            Gritty looked at her, "You're right, I'm not. But I'm your friend."

            Ursa fought her way into a halfway sitting position but was too weak to force herself to sit up any higher. Gritty said nothing of it. Maybe that would cool her determination. He doubted it but he was willing to attempt anything. 

            Ursa's eyes were empty. It was like someone had sucked the meaning of life from her. Gritty looked at her and lifted her up, held her in his arms. Ursa fought for a moment and then gave up, laying her cheek against his strong chest. He held her tightly.

            Ursa was shaking. Whether it was from the fever or simply from her emotions, gritty didn't know. He just knew that he'd never know her to hug anyone for too long but she was clinging to him, like she was clinging to sanity. He looked at her and put one of his hands into her blond hair.

            "Hey, hey, we'll find him."

            Ursa nodded. "I know, I know. But…he's so young…he shouldn't be alone."

            Gritty nodded, "I know. But we're doing all we can."

            Ursa closed her eyes. "Gritty, I have to find him. Let me…"

            "No." he lifted her head so he was looking at her. "Ursa, you're not strong enough right now. The best you can do is rest. Leave finding Buddi to me. I care about that cub too you know."

            Ursa looked at him, not saying anything. He sighed, "Ursa, I know this is killing you."

            Ursa pulled away, ashamed. She couldn't believe she'd let her emotions rule her that way. She glared at Gritty.

            "I'll find him," he told her in a firm voice. She looked at him, her eyes empty and tired. 

            "Promise?"

            Gritty smiled at her.

            "I promise."

_870_

            The sound of battle woke Buddi. He was lying in cold mud. Sitting up, he sighed. Not home. He wasn't surprised. It was never home. He was beginning to believe it never would be. His hope was nearly gone. 

            "Another battle?"

            Buddi knew he should have been scared. But he wasn't. Had someone ended his life then, he seriously believed they would have been doing him a favor. He had lost any hope of getting home and without hope his life had virtually no use. He heard the battle cries moving away so they weren't headed this way. It sounded like they were near the ocean.

            Buddi stood, wiped as much mud off as he could and wandered about, seeking shelter from the rain. He was cold, wet, and hungry. Not to mention lonely, scared, and homesick. The battle cries were loud in his ears. To one who had never heard a real battle in such intensity before, the cries were poison.

            Buddi clamped his hands over his ears. He wanted to scream for everyone, all the warriors, all the fighters; he just wanted everyone to be quiet. He was tired of being lost in time, he was tired of lying, he was tired of being alone, and he was just tired. He wanted Ursa to pick him up right there and just protect him. He was always complaining about not having enough freedom. Ursa said that came with age. Right now he didn't want age. He wanted to be a child. He wanted to be protected.

            Buddi slipped to the ground again and buried his face into his paws, sobbing silently. He generally had more courage than this but this entire journey was putting a tremendous strain on him. Being thrown back into Barbic Woods hurt the most. He'd just begun to heal and now he was shown exactly how it had been and all those wounds had been cut open to bleed anew. 

            "Lad? You shouldn't be out here now. The humans' armies are gathering their forces."

            Buddi looked up when a new voice pierced the night. A blond haired Gummi knight knelt down to his level.

            "Where're your parents lad?" his voice was inquisitive but kind. "You can't be…what more than twelve?"

            Buddi sighed, "I'm eleven."

            He turned to the knight. "What month is it?"

            "It's about halfway through the second month."

            Buddi swallowed and fought down his tears, "almost two months."

            Plucki looked the child over. He was obviously distressed about something. He was also wet and looked exhausted. Besides, a battlefield was not the place for a child. He offered a hand to the cub and the child took it reluctantly. 

            "Come with me lad." He smiled gently. "Let's get you to Gummadoon and get you warmed up."

            Buddi agreed, mainly because he was tired and just wanted some place to sleep. He knew of Sir Plucki. He recognized the knight from his fairy tale books that Ursa used to read him when he was younger. 

            Plucki watched the child with concern. The cub's eyes were red with tears. He was trying to hide them but Plucki loved children. He knew what they were thinking and what many of their actions meant, although he had no cubs himself. 

            As he walked the cub back towards Gummadoon where his knights were preparing for another attack, he asked,

            "What's your name, lad?"

            "Buddi."

            The cub said nothing more.

* * *

            Buddi picked at the food he was given and just lounged in the room Plucki had shown him to. It was warm and he'd gotten a warm bath so he wasn't cold anymore. But he was still lonely, afraid and homesick. He put the food on the night table and just buried his face into the pillow, letting tears flow down his face. 

            "What's wrong, young one?"

            The cub looked up and saw a female gummi at the doorway. She was a council member. He remembered that she was the only female on the council and that her name was Wooddale. She had been kind to him. Now she walked in, pulled up a chair and faced him.

            "What troubles you, Buddi? I have seen many children in my life but none that appear so frazzled as you."

            Buddi sighed, "I've had a bad couple of weeks."

            He turned his head but then his left eye caught a shiny object. He jerked back around and clasped it in his hands. 

            Wooddale smiled and let the child finger her medallion. He stared at it like it was a flask of water in an endless desert. She chuckled, although good-naturedly. He looked up at her and his deep eyes were shimmering with a burning and desperate hope.

            "You…you're a magician."

            Wooddale nodded, "Yes, young one. All those of Gummadoon Council are magicians." She saw the plea in his eyes. "Why?"

            Buddi could hold back his tears no longer. He burst into sobs and Wooddale wrapped her arms around him. She was not very good with children in general but she couldn't help but feel for this child and did whatever she could to calm him down.

            "Child, calm yourself!"

            Buddi looked up at her, "Help me, can you help me?"

            She smiled, "I can try. What is it?"

            Buddi gradually began to tell her about one spell gone wrong and how he'd ended up popping in and out of different times. He left out anything about the future that may have influenced this time period. But otherwise, he finally unleashed all his fears and frustrations. Once he finished, he asked,

            "Can you get me home?"

            Wooddale took all this in with shock. When that feeling passed, she said,

            "I will definitely report this to the council. We'll do all we can, Buddi."

            The cub nodded; he could accept that. That was more help than he had received so far. Wooddale handed him his sandwich, which had turned cold. 

            "But I want you to eat and relax in the meantime, understand?"

            Buddi nodded and she left. He leaned back and said,

            "Please Gum. Please."

* * *

            "The Gummies have what?"

            Plucki couldn't believe what he was hearing. His younger knights, the two twin brothers, answered as one,

            "It's true, they've decided to leave. They can't live like this anymore. They don't want war."

            Plucki couldn't believe this. They had fought so long and hard but it was all for nothing. They would be forced out anyway. He ground his teeth and rolled his hands in tight fists. Humans…

            Buddi watched from the door with curious eyes. So that was the time he was in. When the Ancients fled. He turned from the door and leaned against the wall. He'd just heard about this time, he'd never dreamed he'd be stuck in it. That scared him. He had heard about the war.

            "Lad, what are you doing?"

            Buddi turned, and swallowed. He recognized a blue knight with a mustache that was called Ramsi. From what Buddi had seen of his actions, he did not care very much for children. The knight approached him and hissed,

            "This is serious business not a child's game."

            "I wasn't-"

            "You were spying. This is a job for adults. Children cannot do it."

            "I was just-"

            "Ramsi!" it was Gumlittle that came through the doorway. Ramsi acknowledged his higher-ranking knight but then turned back to Buddi. Gumlittle put a hand on Buddi's shoulder. 

            "The child wasn't doing anything. Leave him alone. Go and prepare the first wave of knights for an attack."

            Ramsi narrowed his eyes but said, "Right."

            Buddi looked over his shoulder at the older gummi. Gumlittle gave him a smile but Buddi didn't smile back. Gumlittle gently gestured him to follow him into the meeting room. Buddi was reluctant but did as asked. He didn't want to be out here if Ramsi came back around.

            Not many people were in the room. Buddi saw twin knights, Sir Blastus, Sir Plucki, and one of the council members, one in blue. Plucki smiled when he saw the cub. The other knights seemed the same except the two twins. They looked at Buddi with contempt. The blue council member, who Buddi now recognized as Berrybaum, walked over to him and knelt to his level.

            "Wooddale has informed us of your situation young one. I assure you that we are doing all we can."

            Buddi nodded, but the sadness did not leave his eyes. He was dismal. He appreciated their help but he seriously doubted the spell could do anything. He'd heard that mixing magics was dangerous. 

            And he had given up.

            A call suddenly pierced the room. Ramsi peeked in and said,

            "The humans are attacking the departing gummies!"

            Every gummi leapt to their feet and tore out. All but Buddi. He just sat there. He couldn't do very much. The cub listened but didn't hear much. Finally he got up and looked out the window. He winced and turned away. He saw some knights lying lifeless on the ground, pools of blood spreading. The knights were both Gummi and Human. Buddi threw his hands over his mouth as he saw a human remove a gummi's head.

            "Humans, those evil…No!" Buddi turned from the battle, "Those are bad humans, and not all humans are that way. Don't let what happened to Ursa happen to you!" Buddi's words were lost on himself. "Never trust a human." Buddi collapsed and shook like a leaf. The screams pierced his ears. He clamped his hands over them but he could still hear people screaming. Some gummies were screaming for their mothers, some were cursing, and some were crying to Gum for mercy. Buddi trembled.

            He let the tears come and started to cry,

            "Make it stop! Be quiet! Be quiet! Stop fighting, stop killing!"

            A renewed cry pierced his ears as answer. He growled.

            "Humans, they started this!"

            He was blaming humans again. He was learning to hate them, just like Ursa. He clutched his head and tried to convince himself that he was wrong. But given the war, he couldn't.

            Tears rolled down his cheeks. His arms suddenly began to shimmer. He sighed,

            "Not again."

            "Buddi!"

            The cub looked up. Wooddale came in, saying, "I have the spell."

            Buddi saw he was fading quickly. "NO! Not now! No!"

            Wooddale saw what was happening and tried to start the spell. But before she could, Buddi let out a wail.

            "No!"

            Then he vanished, seconds away from an escape from this nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6

Present 

            "She won't eat at all?"

            "Nothing,"

            Grubbi sighed. "That girl…I don't believe it's possible for her to get any more stubborn."

            Gritty nodded. He'd called Grubbi, their resident physician. Ursa's fever still hadn't gone down any. He knew Ursa would be less than appreciative but he didn't care at the moment. He just wanted his leader and friend the old way again.

            "Ursa?" Gritty pushed the door open and found his leader trying to stand. He raced in and grabbed her in a vice like grip. She slammed her foot down on his and elbowed him in his stomach. He winced but swiftly restrained her. She was not very strong, considering her condition. The attack caused more annoyance than pain.

            "Let me go! Let me go!"

            "Ursa…"

            The blond haired Barbic looked up.  Grubbi was approaching her. He felt her forehead.

            "Your fever's too high!"

            Ursa growled, "I'm fine! I want you two concerned with Buddi."

            Grubbi sighed. "Ursa let me examine you. Gritty called me because you're so sick. By touch alone, I know your fever's over three degrees above normal."

            Grubbi nodded to the bed and Gritty pushed Ursa down hard. She kicked and squirmed but she wasn't strong enough. Gritty handed her to Grubbi, who told her firmly,

            "Ursa Marie Barbic! Enough!"

            Gritty cringed. He couldn't remember the last time Grubbi had called either of them by their full names. Judging by the way Ursa stopped, she couldn't either. Grubbi took a breath and said,

            "Ursa! Listen to me! We can't do any more than we are doing-"

            "Grubbi! But I remember! He came to us in the past. He called himself Timba but it was Buddi. Gum's sake we lost our home a few months ago and now that infernal spell is flinging him back! Do you _know_ what that'll do to him? It took him months to heal! This will just reopen those wounds!"

            Grubbi grabbed her by her face. "Ursa!"

            She stopped yelling and listened. Grubbi gave her a delicate smile and fingered her sweaty blond hair. She sighed deeply. Grubbi smiled,

            "Ursa, listen, we're doing everything we can. Gritty's making sure of that. But you need to get better. So do me a favor and let me see what's wrong with you?"

            Ursa shook her head, "I won't until Buddi's home."

            Grubbi sighed, "I'm sorry that just won't work."

            That said, he grabbed her firmly with one of his hands, holding her head still. 

            "Grubbi!"

            "Sorry Ursa. I'm not leaving until I know what's wrong with you!"

            He held her still with one hand and pried her left eyelid up with the other. Her eyes were glassy, he found from looking into them both. He tilted her head up and told her,

            "Let me see your throat Ursa."

            "Grubbi this is rid-"

            Grubbi cut her off. He had asked her that to get her to open her mouth. Now he held her mouth open and pressed his thumb against her tongue so he could see her throat. He found it a raw red.

            He released her and she growled. He grabbed her wrist and felt for her pulse. He found it a bit faster than usual but not too fast. He lifted Ursa's shirt off and felt for her breathing patterns. She had given up her fighting but she wasn't happy about this.

            Grubbi nodded, "Hmm, typical fever. But it's too high. Stay in bed Ursa. Doctor's orders."

            "Grubbi…my Buddi…"

            "No, no, no. You stay in bed. Gritty, I'll help the Glens with research as much as I can. I want you to make sure this stubborn girl obeys my orders."

            Gritty nodded. Grubbi turned to Ursa. "You, young lady, keep to bed and I don't want you up or I'll have Gritty use your pressure points to keep you there."

            Ursa growled low in her throat. Grubbi turned to Gritty.

            "Just keep her still. Keep a cloth on her forehead and get fluids into her."

            Gritty nodded and the healer left.

            Ursa tried to get up almost immediately. Gritty held her down. She growled,

            "Gritty!"  
            "Don't Ursa. I know pressure points and I'm not afraid to use them."

            Ursa sighed, "Gritty, Buddi…"

            "Ursa," he pinched her lightly behind her neck. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed. "I'm sorry Ursa."

            Gritty looked towards the library. "Please bring Buddi home. I don't know how much longer Ursa'll last."

_1355_

            Buddi sat up and rubbed his head. He was sitting in a patch of clovers. He looked around and saw trees overhead and a swimming pool nearby. Barbic Woods again. Tears blurred his vision. Why was fate playing with him this way? Why did it have to reopen so many cuts? The first trip back to his home had sliced those open. Now returning again and again was salt in an open wound.

            The cub took a quick look around and realized that this was earlier than before but not all the way back to Ursa's childhood. He knew how tall the trees had been and these were not that tall yet. 

            Still, that meant he couldn't be seen here. The first time Ursa'd seen him was when she was six but she probably forgot that. In that case, she had to be at least twenty-four before she saw him or it would ruin the future. 

            The cub swung up into the highest branches of the trees and entered what they called the forest within a forest. Where the leaves of the trees formed a floor that was solid but he could see through it at certain points. The cub moved towards the middle and looked down through an opening, down towards the very active Barbics below. 

            He could make out a few. He saw Ryo, younger but still the same attitude and he saw Lundi. He saw Gritty too; he looked about twenty or so. He wasn't as muscular as the one Buddi knew but he was still strong. They were arming themselves. 

            Buddi looked out over the landscape and saw that humans were approaching. This must be the two-year war between the humans that Ursa said happened before he was born. Humans had tried to force them out but they had finally forced them out. 

            "Gritty!"

            Buddi turned. He knew that voice. It was Ursa. But if the war was just beginning then Gritty was twenty-one which made Ursa…. eighteen! 

            Buddi grabbed a vine and swung lower. His jaw dropped.

* * *

            "Gritty!"

            The young adult turned as his younger friend Ursa ran out after him. 

            "Let me come with you."

            Gritty shook his head. "I tried to convince Gianni for you. No go. He says that the war'll be intense and until you're an adult you can't come into battle."

            Ursa growled. "I've passed all my tests. I'm fully certified in our fighting skills."

            Gritty smirked. "All but one little test."

            Ursa sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know, I can't lift a sword yet."

            She sat backward and pouted. Gritty chuckled. She was the only one that couldn't fight. The others were a little older than her and they were males. Their strength came before hers. Ola was a few years older. So she was strong enough. Ursa was their youngest. 

            She didn't look it. Her red hair was dulling to a light blond but it still had auburn highlights. She had it in a braid that she had thrown over her shoulder. She didn't have anything to protect her, not even a helmet. She had no wrist guards either. 

            She wore a dark navy blue dress that fell to her knees. It was short sleeved, with a green belt across the waist. She kept a dagger in her left boot and another, long one, on her right side of her belt. Her boots themselves were mid shin length and a dark blue that matched her dress. 

            Gritty heard the warning ring through the trees and turned to Ursa. It was his first battle and he sincerely wished that his best friend could have come. She looked like she was itching to fight. All Barbics had a hatred for humans but humans had taken her parents away. Her hatred was extremely intense. 

            "Ursa?"

            She turned to her older friend. He extended his hand to her. She grasped it tightly.

            "Gritty? Be careful."

            He nodded and grabbed a vine to swing down to the others. Ursa ground her hands into tight fists. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned.

            Theanrn, their eldest and wisest healer was smiling at her. He was old and approaching the end of his life but he could fight still. Not nearly as well as he had been able to in his youth but well enough. He mainly served as backup.

            "Don't distress so, little one." Ursa smiled faintly. She was little, to him. "Your time will come. From the moment you entered this world I saw a warrior in your eyes. You need only wait a little longer."

            "How long?"

            "Not long. You are nearing your prime."

            Ursa turned to him. She, as well as all the others had learned to respect Theanrn's sixth sense. He made a prediction at each birth. On hers he had declared,

            "A spitfire she'll be. But she'll be a light that leads us through the darkest times."

            Ursa wondered what dark times he was referring to. She turned to him and nodded. He smiled and swung down towards the battle. Ursa followed with her eyes and then smiled,

            "They never said I couldn't watch."

            That said, she grabbed a hanging vine and headed down to the lower branches. She landed on a branch just over the battlefield and watched. Unknown to her, Buddi had crept down behind her and sat just behind her, staring.

            Buddi was stunned. Ursa was so different. She was younger, obviously, but he didn't know before this journey that her hair had been red. Or that she had been so rebellious. He and her were similar in that sense, although he generally rebelled to _not_ participate in their rituals while she rebelled to be _allowed_ to. 

            Buddi felt a pain hit his heart. Oh, he wanted to run to her, even if she was only eighteen. But she would reject him, he knew it. When this journey began he had believed that she would try to accept him, no matter what time but now his faith had died so that he didn't believe in anyone anymore.

            The cub looked over the group of Barbics as they prepared for battle. He gulped.

            "No, not this war. Please don't let it be this war."

            But it was. He knew it. 

            This was the war where they had lost three-fourths of their kind. Ursa had not told him much, just said,

            "When you're older. I don't think you're mentally ready for what happened."

            For that reason, the child could not peel his eyes from the battlefield.

            He did not have to wait very long. Soon, humans were plowing through the trees, attacking the fifty or so Barbics that were on the ground, not noticing the other half in the lower trees. Soon, arrows flew.

            Buddi gasped. One human fell, an arrow lodged in its neck. Its murderer drew back their bow and fired another, falling a second human. Blood began to puddle the ground and stain the grass and clovers. Buddi shuddered. He'd rolled in those green fields. He felt ill thinking of it.

            Gritty ran out in front, meeting a human's blade with his own. His only thought was forcing them out. They had already lost several of their own. The human snarled with a laugh and pressed back. Gritty ducked to avoid the blade and swung his own blade, slicing the human's stomach open. Blood gushed out in great rushes.  The wound was fatal.

            Buddi couldn't bear it. He turned his face away and covered his ears to try and drown out the screams. Some were gummi but some were human. He heard crashes as Barbics fell from the trees, their lives stolen from them. He couldn't bear to watch. The harder he tried to blot out the sounds, the louder and louder they grew. 

            The cub finally opened his eyes as he felt the branch move. Ursa had leapt down and into the battlefield. Buddi watched with horror. She ran through blood as if it were water. Her thoughts were on a single goal. 

            Buddi dared to see what that was.

            Gritty waited but the pain never hit him. Something had stopped the blade. He opened his eyes.

            "Ursa!"

            Having nothing else to fight back with, the girl had used her bare hands to stop the blade aimed for her friend's neck. Her eyes were alive with hatred. Blood ran down her arms but she ignored it and glared her friend's assailant in the eyes. 

            "Back off, human."

            "Out of my way, gummi."

            "No. You leave our woods."

            "Not until I claim your friend's head."

            Ursa's strength doubled with anger and the human man had to press hard to keep her at bay. Buddi watched with shock. He'd never seen such strength and anger displayed as one. Ursa's eyes were dark, pitiless.

            Buddi turned to her attacker. He was pale skinned but older than most of the other warriors. His hair was dark midnight black and he had a beard. His eyes were deep blue, almost black. But his face was held in a cruel scowl. Buddi knew he had seen him before. But his young mind was at a loss of where.

            He soon found out.

            Ursa glared deep into the human's eyes and gasped. Gritty was trying to pry her off as he feared for her. Her strength wasn't fully developed yet. Ursa would have none of that. She gave him a firm backhand, sending him backwards, in more surprise than anything else but still in a decent amount of pain.

            Ursa's voice dripped with hatred and a pain she had long tried to bury.

            "You…you…it's you! The _nisha _that killed my parents!"

            The human stared at her and then smiled, in an unkind and sarcastic way.

            "So, the little red-haired brat is grown. You do make quite a beauty." He paused. "Considering your heritage."

            Ursa let out a full-fledged roar and flung the human down onto his back. He stared at her. She was shaking with rage. Gritty approached her again.

            "Ursa…"

            "It's that _nisha!_"

            "Ursa…" 

            "Your sword."

            "What?"

            Ursa whirled around and in a split moment drew the sword from her best friend's sheath, demanding,

            "Give me your sword! This _nisha's_ mine!'

            "Ursa!"

            She ignored his cries and sprung at the human, her eyes burning. The warrior barely managed to grab his own sword to block a fatal blow. Ursa was spitting, cursing. She had never felt such a blatant hatred in all her life. 

            "You took my parents from me. Well, guess what? Una's little girl's grown and she means to get blood for blood!"

            The human had seen hate in the other Barbics' eyes but this girl was smoldering with it. He dodged another blow. The girl jerked the sword from the ground and tore after him.

            Buddi was trembling. Ursa…was she truly full of so much hate, so much buried fury? He felt tears trickle down his cheeks.

            Gritty tore after Ursa when he realized…

            "She's using a sword."

            "Gritty!"

            The Barbic turned and saw Grubbi running to him. His eyes were blazing.

            "Gianni's fallen."

            "What?"

            Their leader…

            Buddi rubbed his arms, as if to ward off a chill he knew only thrived in his heart. He turned and nearly threw up. Gummies lay scattered over the ground, some whole with gashes but most in pieces, their bodies mutilated. He fell onto his backside and found for any air. But he saw that the humans were retreating for the time being.

            Ursa ran and ran until her prey was no longer in her gasp. She stopped and panted. Gritty ran up behind her. She was trembling. She raised her arm high and screamed,

            "RUN! RUN YOU COWARD!"

            She dropped the sword to the ground. Gritty put his hands on her shoulders. She turned around. Gritty looked at her.

            "Ursa…go let that anger out. Otherwise you'll do something stupid."

            "You sound ancient."

            Buddi watched with interest. He was afraid but curiosity overwhelmed fear. He felt that shiver run up his spine again. He was switching faster than before. He stared at Ursa and Gritty. Grubbi had come over.

            He had something in his hands.

            "Ursa. Our leader died."

            "What?"

            So caught up in rage, her ears had missed his cries as he departed this world. Grubbi smiled and turned to Theanrn who came up and took something from Grubbi. He turned to Ursa.

            "But we have another warrior. Not as experienced as Gianni. But in time, in time."

            He withdrew a silver bladed sword and gave it to Ursa. She recognized it. It was the one she had designed to be hers when she came of age. Theanrn smiled, despite the grimness of the situation.

            Buddi could barely hear as he faded but he made out,

            "Warrioress Ursa."

            And then he was gone, leaving a dark past behind.


	7. Chapter 7

Present 

            "Come on! There must be answers in here somewhere."

            Gruffi had been scanning the Great Book for days. It was least he could do. Although Buddi was a Barbic, he was a child. He hadn't deserved this. 

            Gruffi cursed himself again, as he had been doing for months. It was nearing the end of the second month. Buddi had been gone for two months since two days ago. Gruffi, although he and Ursa usually despised one another, he knew why she had gotten sick. Hysteria. 

            If Sunni, Cubbi, or Tummi had been lost then Grammi would have been as bad as Ursa, probably worse. He would have hidden his feelings as he was now but inwardly he knew he would be as bad as Grammi or Ursa. 

            Gruffi hated himself. Why had he opened his big mouth? If he had just-

            The door opened and Gritty walked in. Gruffi asked,

            "How is-"

            "Ursa's fine. She's sleeping finally." He glared at Gruffi, "No thanks to you and your big mouth."

            Gruffi growled, "You think I meant for that kid of yours to get lost?"

            Gritty glared at him and hissed, "sometimes I wonder."

            Gruffi blew up, "You Barbics are so callous I'm surprised the cub had to disappear! Why hasn't he run away yet?"

            Gritty's normally cool temper exploded.

            "WHAT?!"

            He grabbed the glen by his shirt, "We raise our children differently. That doesn't make it wrong! Ursa is callous but I've seen her be soft. We give the cub love. He's probably scared to death right now. Ursa's going crazy because she can't get to him. If we did not care would we be trying so hard to find him?"

            Gruffi sighed, regretting his words.

            "No, you wouldn't."

            Gritty threw the Glen to the ground. He was normally very calm, although in spells of anger he was impulsive. But these final days had been pushing his limits. He was worried about Ursa but he was also worried about Buddi. Ursa was right; he _was_ just a child. 

            Gritty ground his hands into tight fists. He wasn't used to feeling helpless. When humans attacked he fought back. When someone he cared for was taken, as Buddi had been when he was five, he went after him. Now Buddi was gone and he had no way to go after him. Physical fighting was his specialty, not magic. 

            "Gritty?"

            The Barbic turned to Gruffi, his eyes burning. "What Gruffi?"

            "When Ursa wakes up… I thought I might apologize…"

            "No! You've done enough!"

            "It means nothing to you I have remorse?"

            "Remorse won't get Buddi back and Ursa's been through enough. The last thing I need is something else upsetting her. You two…I have yet to see you two speak for any length of time and not argue."

            Gruffi growled. But he turned back to searching the Great Book, not saving anything else. He knew better than to push a Barbic. Especially Gritty or Ursa. And Gritty seemed to get more and more irritable as time wore on. 

            Ursa had been getting better from what Gruffi heard but she was still to weak to get up without assistance. Due to her stubborn nature, she wound up on the floor multiple times, trying rise on her own. 

            Gruffi had considered approaching her but even when he got a glimpse of her, her eyes chased him off. He had never seen eyes that cold and angry. She never said anything but her eyes said all she felt. 

            He had called to her once but she ignored him plainly. He honestly could not blame her. 

            He sighed and turned his attention to the pages of the Great Book. He ignored Gritty's glare and fingered through the pages.

            He had to fix this.

_1364_

            "Buddi!" 

            Ursa smiled at the cub in exasperation. He was hanging upside down from one of the thicker branches. His face had turned completely red. The small five year old giggled.

            "What?"

            Ursa grabbed him by his waist and turned him right side up before plopping him onto his feet. He swayed as the blood drained from his face but he smiled. Ursa sighed and said,

            "What were you doing? You're twenty feet up!  What if you'd fallen?"

            Buddi rolled his eyes, "Worrywart Ursa. I know what I'm doing! I'm a Barbic!"

            Ursa smiled, "Yes, but Mama Ursa told you not to climb this high, without me remember?"

            "I can't do anything!"

            Ursa rubbed his head, "In time, little one."

            "I hafta wait all the time! I don't wanna wait!"

            Buddi pouted and ran off. Ursa sighed deeply. He was five now so he had permission to go to the swimming hole as long as he stayed where he could stand up. If Ursa or another adult were with him then he could go deeper. 

            Ursa let him run off. If she knew him then he would want to be alone for a bit. He was a lot like Ola in that way. Whenever she was upset, she liked to be alone and cool off. Not even her mate, Bilo, had dared approach her then. 

            Ursa saw more of Ola in Buddi every day. He acted the same way when angered; he had her curious nature; he had her more excepting attitude. But Buddi was his own person. He had an odd forgiving nature to him that Ursa found unique. Bilo had been one to hold a grudge and Ola had never been extremely mischievous and yet her son was. 

            Ursa turned and walked back towards the training grounds. If Buddi was going to entertain himself then she could practice. Gritty called her a workaholic. She trained more than any of the others. As a result, over the years her strength had grown tremendously and she was nearly as strong as an average male. Her swordsman skills were unmatched. 

            Gritty greeted her and tossed her a staff.

            "Ready for another go, Ursa?"

            Ursa smiled and felt that familiar adrenaline rush pour through her body. She tightened her muscles and shifted her reflexes to hair trigger. A young and optimistic smile spread over her face,

            "Bring it on."

            Buddi got out of the swimming pool and glanced to the left. He knew that through those trees, after a few feet, was the edge of the forest. He was told to stay away. But he was curious. Why couldn't he go beyond the edge? He wasn't a fool. He could take care of himself!

            Decision made, he rushed through the trees and out into the land beyond those familiar leaves. Barbics generally let him wander the woods as he saw fit as he was generally obedient and knew better than to go somewhere he shouldn't. But everyone had the off days, no?

            In any event, Buddi used it to his advantage. Once outside he was stunned. Inside his home, the trees filtered out most of the heat from the sun, using it to create their own food. It was always a fairly cool temperature in there. 

            The sun out here was blazingly hot. Buddi was used to wet heat, humidity as it was in the forest, due to the trees and rain that the trees seemed to absorb through a process Buddi knew from adult conversation was not present in other trees. 

            His eyes squeezed shut against the brilliant sun. it was bright in the woods but not this bright. It burned Buddi's eyes. 

            The cub glanced about and saw a different landscape. It was a barren landscape, not quite desert land but more like a plane. He saw a stream that flowed into the woods. It must have been the origin of their swift river. 

            Buddi thought no more of that. He knew what it did but that was of little importance to him. He just wanted to explore. He had explored the woods as much as he could; he wanted a challenge. 

            Buddi heard voices and his childlike curiosity chimed in. He ran towards it. He found that this plane had several dips in it. He found the origin in one the dips, about half or three-fourths of a mile out from the woods. 

            Buddi peered over and saw a small camp in the depths. There were about five green tents and a burnt out fire in the center. But what got the child's attention were the giggling voices. He found the origin swiftly.

            Near the outskirts of the camp, almost directly below Buddi were three human children. They looked to be siblings, the eldest looking about eight, the other two were twins looking around four or five. 

            Buddi slipped down eagerly. He didn't see humans, he saw fellow playmates.

            "Hey!" 

            The three humans turned. The younger two, who Buddi now saw were a boy and girl, cried,

            "Gummi bear!"

            The elder stared. Buddi looked at him with wide innocent eyes. The boy had deep blue eyes and shimmering blond hair. He wore a dark blue tunic and long black slacks. He had black boots on. 

            The younger two looked almost identical. They had blue eyes and curly red hair. The boy wore slacks and a red shirt, which was rather baggy. He was barefoot. The girl had on a violet dress and was barefoot. 

            The two turned to the older,

            "Saxon?"

            Saxon recovered and stared,

            "Wow! You _aren't_ story book characters!"

            The younger girl said, "Wanna play?"

            Buddi beamed. Saxon spoke,

            "Harmony, is that smart?"

            The younger boy stuck out his tongue, "You decide. We're gonna play!"

            "Edward…"

            The two grabbed Buddi's hands and tugged him out of sight of the adults. They were on a scouting with their grandfather's army. They wanted to attack the nearby woods although the children did not know why.

            Buddi was happy. He didn't have any playmates his age. He was glad to have some friends, even if they weren't gummi. They were children!

            Saxon turned and walked towards the adults. He knew his grandfather didn't trust those bears. If his grandfather didn't, neither did Saxon. The old warrior had told his eldest grandchild many times how a young red haired one had defeated him. 

            Saxon didn't care what his brother and sister thought. He didn't trust the cub.

            "Grandfather?"

            "Grandfather?"

            The two younger children were surprised when their grandfather walked over to them. He spied their new playmate and dove through them, snatching the cub in his arms. 

            Buddi squealed and fought to free himself. The black beaded man grinned.

            "A child…"

* * *

            "Ursa!"

            The female turned and before her guards could say anything else she heard Buddi scream followed by that voice she knew far too well,

            "Surrender your woods or one cub'll see the end far too soon."

            **_"Nisha!"_**

            She took off for the woods, intent on getting her child back without a sacrifice.

* * *

            A child screaming made Buddi sit up. He rubbed his head. He was in another time again. As he sat up, he realized that his back was badly sun burnt. He had been lying in the heat for quite some time it seemed. 

            He listened…that was him!

            He slipped towards the voice and saw humans running off one horses and Ursa trying to follow. He heard his younger self,

            "MAMA URSA!"

            Immediately Buddi remembered that kidnapping. He'd lived through it once, thanks…

            Buddi realized now why he had been flung through time. When he'd been kidnapped, Ursa and Gritty had rounded up ramas and followed the humans' tracks. But Buddi owed his life to a stranger. The being had come and cut him free of his bonds and led him back towards the woods when Ursa and Gritty were. He remembered Ursa had recognized him but he had been so concentrated on her warm arms he'd never gotten a good look at his savior.

            Now he knew.

            He was here to save his past self and set the future in motion.

* * *

            Buddi was crying and his wrists burned. The humans had bound his legs and arms, whipped his now bare body multiple times when he tried to get away and were essentially just waiting to kill him. The main leader, who was a black bearded man named Aldrich, had no intention of releasing him. He was bait to lure Ursa here. Buddi had overheard them. 

            Buddi started to cry again.

            "Hush Buddi."

            The boy looked up and saw it was Harmony. She snuck in and gave him a sip of cold water. Buddi still trusted her. It was the adults he didn't trust. He drank, relieved. He didn't know how far they were from the woods, just know he had been in the sun a long, long time and he was hot and cranky. He was scared and wanted to go home.

            Harmony heard sounds and got up and left. Buddi was alone again. He twisted his hands but only received pain.

            "Buddi…"

            The cub lifted his head and saw two brown furred hands slice his bounds. They helped him stand and he leapt into them, not caring who it was, so long as it was a gummi who would help him. 

            Buddi trembled and felt very _very_ uncomfortable. He was holding himself. He almost hadn't gotten to the camp. The humans were fast and his track reading skills were limited.

            Still he had gotten in. Stealth was his specialty. He shifted his younger self and ducked back out the tent the way he had come. The humans were still around. But they were preparing for an attack. They knew the parents of this cub would come as well as a leader. Their leader was praying for the red haired one. He wanted revenge.

            Buddi ran as soon as he was clear. He knew they would find his younger self gone soon and that he only had a certain amount of time.

            The sun was still up and it made sweat run down his back. He tried to shield the young child in his arms but he couldn't do it very well. He was surprised that the cub hadn't fought. But then, Buddi remembered he had wanted to get back to Ursa and he hadn't cared how it was achieved.

            Buddi groaned. His younger self was heavy! His back still hurt from sunburn and his legs were beginning to throb with the added height he had to support and the speed at which he was traveling.

            He heard the rumble of hooves behind him and then the welcomed sound of softer feet ahead of him. His younger self asked,

            "Mama Sa?"

            "Mama Ursa's coming."

            Sure enough two ramas stopped and Ursa ran to Buddi. He released the shock worn cub into her arms.

            "Baby, baby, are you okay?"

            "Mama Ursa!"

            Ursa wrapped her arms around the bare child, hugging him as close as she could without smothering him. She turned to her child's savoir and gasped.

            "Timba!"

            Buddi let out a cry at that. Enough lies already!

            Ursa looked at him surprised. He had vanished after a short visit when Buddi was two. For that reason, Buddi had no memory of him and she doubted he would remember his face either, because that was not what he was focused on.

            Gritty broke in, "Timba enough lies. I know you lied to me when we last saw you. Now the truth…who are you?"

            Before Buddi could answer, the horses pulled up. Gritty pulled the cub behind him and Ursa handed the cub in her arms to him. She faced his kidnappers and her eyes narrowed.

            "We meet again, nisha."

            Gritty watched as the black bearded man leapt off his horse and drew a blade. Both human and gummi knew not to get involved. This was between the two leaders. Gritty turned Buddi's face into his shoulder. He was too young to see this. The cub by his leg stared. 

            "Let's settle this."

            "Done, Barbic!"

            Buddi trembled. He saw the two lunge. Ursa ducked…

            Gritty pushed Buddi's face into his legs. No cub, even if they were around Buddi's age should see that.

            Ursa glared at human impaled on her sword. She had put more blood on her paws. The law of Barbics declared she had the right to revenge and this human had wronged her twice. Her parents were dead by his hands and nearly her child as well. Still, such a desperate resort.

            Ursa was stunned honestly. He anger was great and she had no regret but still…

            Gritty glared at the remaining humans. They backed up. Ursa removed her sword and let the human fall. Wiping her sword upon the ground, she slid it back in her sheath. She had ended a life before, in battle, out of self-defense. That was partially self-defense, mostly her anger.

            She felt an odd weight on her heart lift. She had avenged her parents' death as she had vowed to do. And her baby was safe. Hatred that had been buried so long was released. She took Buddi from Gritty and cradled him close to her chest.

            Buddi felt Gritty's arms began to pass through him. Ursa had killed, he knew she had. All the Barbics had taken a life at one point. She had taken a life for him? Did…did she love him enough to stain her soul?

            Buddi closed his eyes and let time sweep him away.

            "Mama Ursa, I wanna go home."

            That was his past self's words but young or old, the two cubs' thoughts were identical. 

            Buddi let the tears come and whispered, 

            "Me too. Mama Ursa, I wanna go home."


	8. Chapter 8

_Present_

            Zummi pulled open the library door and gasped,

            "Ursa!"

            The Barbic female was slumped over the Great Book, her tattered blond hair falling into fevered eyes. She was shaking in her stance, despite how hard she tried to hide it. She was using the stand on which the book rested to support herself. 

            "Ursa!"

            The Barbic turned. Her eyes were glassy and there was a desperate need in them. She looked like someone who had lost his or her desire to live. It reminded Zummi of what Honori, Sunni's mother, had gone through when she found out her husband was dead and she was with a child. 

            Ursa squinted as she heard a voice. But she was so disoriented that she could not recognize who it was. 

            "Who…"

            "Ursa…mit's ie…uh, it's me, Zummi."

            "What are you doing here?"

            "I…I could ask the same of you."

            "Do you even have to ask…Zummi, in two days it'll be Buddi's twelfth birthday."

            Zummi looked at her. Her voice was coarse, her eyes bloodshot and empty and she was struggling to stay upright.

            "Ursa…"

            "If I had …"

            Zummi felt a surge of guilt shoot through his body. He'd been trying everything possible to get Buddi back. But nothing worked. He had thumbed through the Great Book almost page by page.

            He'd always come up empty.

            By Gum, why had he not insisted that Buddi do as Ursa said and go to bed? Why had he not obeyed his gut instinct that such a complex spell was dangerous? Why had he done so many things? 

            "Ursa!"

            Gritty ran through the door and to Ursa. She tried to resist him but her arms were beyond frail and crumbled like glass under his strength. He looked at her.

            "Ursa, you aren't helping anything this way!"

            "I don't care! That's my child!"

            "Ursa, I knocked you out with pressure points before. Please, don't make me do it again!"

            Ursa growled at him and tried to break his grip but she couldn't do that when at her full strength; now with her strength all but gone, she barely managed to move her arms at all.

            Gritty pushed her head against his chest and held her tightly. She resisted but eventually surrendered. She trembled and Gritty fingered her now dull blond hair. She sighed deeply, her eyes empty. Zummi watched all this with pity and guilt in his heart.

            "Come on Ursa, you're tired. Please, Gum's sake, try to rest."

            "But Gritty…my baby…"

            Zummi spoke, "I'll keep looking. If I get any breakthrough, I'll let you know."

            Gritty looked at Ursa, "How's that?"

            Honestly, Ursa did not want to leave it at that but she knew Gritty would force her to, even if she did resist. So she gave in with a nod. Gritty let out a deep sigh of relief.

            "Good," he wrapped his arm around her slender shoulders. They felt so weak and fragile under his powerful arm. Had he not known better, he would have been surprised she could still walk. But this was Ursa.

            Ursa just went where she was led. She knew resistance would just weaken her more and she needed her strength to find Buddi. He was her life, her angel. So many times she recalled holding him or comforting him. Tending to his ailments when she was called upon by his young voice moaning,

            _"Mama Ursa…"_

            She swore she could hear his voice. But it wasn't the active, playful voice she knew so well. This voice she heard was scared, pleading, broken. She had not heard Buddi sound like that since…since the night the woods fell. 

            She closed her eyes at that thought. She remembered that night crystal clearly. They had gotten away and set up camp for the night. Since they had to make their tents quickly, the clan had roomed in pairs or sets of three, four, or five. She and Gritty had taken one, because it was small. Buddi was with Grubbi and Ryo. About halfway through the night, Buddi had come into their tent with red eyes. He had just flung himself at her and cried. 

            She had just held him until exhaustion put him to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she had found a cub entangled around her, so tightly that he took up little more space than she did; his legs wrapped around her lower legs.

            "Ursa?"

            "Huh?"

            She turned when she heard the voice break into her thoughts. Gritty was looking at her, concern in his remaining eye. Ursa sighed and reached into her temporary nightstand, withdrawing a golden flute. 

            Gritty sighed and sat down by Ursa's side. She fingered the metal as if holding it would somehow bring her closer to Buddi. 

            "Hang in there Ursa. Buddi'll find his way back. He's tough."

            "But he's just a baby. He's too young to have to deal with this. And…he's _my_ baby."

            Gritty gave up arguing.

_1359_

            "Bilo, lay off!"

            Ola ducked under her mate's advances and spat,

            "Gum Above, I'm pregnant, not helpless!"

            Bilo sighed. His mate was almost due, in a week, give or take, they would have a baby. But Ola was stubborn and insisted on doing almost everything herself. Bilo wished that she would accept some help. 

            Ola was a pretty attractive Barbic and much more feminine than the other female, Ursa. When left down, Ola's brown hair had coarseness to it but Bilo loved it. She usually had it in a bun or low ponytail but today had it down so it fell to a little past her shoulders. 

            Ola was very short, only coming to Bilo's shoulder. She wore a long blood-red dress but it had slits up the sides so she could move about. She did not normally wear shoes but if she did they were knee high black boots. She had light brown fur with a patch of dark brown on her left eye.

            Ola regarded her mate disparagingly. She was tired of being reminded that she could not fight as well as she could when without child. But she was still capable of handling herself. Bilo did not have her handicap.

            Bilo was tall, even taller than Ursa. Ola was at her full height and barely came to his shoulder. He was a dark brown with deep brown, almost black hair that was unusually long and he kept it bound in a low ponytail. He wore a long black tunic and no shoes. He always kept his leather belt around his waist where he held his sword and other small weapons.

            Ola sighed deeply. "I'll see you later, Bilo. For now, leave me alone."

            That said, she swung out into the canopy. For now, she was happy to free and do what she wanted. But a movement below made her drop down. She was a caring Barbic, sometimes called 'soft' but that was not a compliment to Barbics.

            Still, she dropped and approached the still form.

* * *

            Buddi groaned as a piercing pain shot through his back. It burned like fire. And he had not eaten for several hours. That contributed to his discomfort. He sat up slowly but still that caused pain to cut through his body like a knife. 

            The cub looked around. 

            "Barbic Woods again? Fate, what did I do to you?!"

            Tears erupted from his eyes and he slumped in his posture. Before he would never have acted this way. But he was crumbled; his spirit and will broken. Tears blurred his vision and he trembled as he sat there, sobbing.

            "Hello?"

            Buddi heard an alien voice and looked up. His eyes saw a blurred image so he wiped them and when he could see clearly again, he gasped and almost stopped breathing from the lump that formed in his throat.

            The Barbic he saw was a female, small. She had a patch on one of her eyes.

            "I…I…" he stammered.

            "My name's Ola."

            Buddi's face turned white and tears slid down his cheeks in silent streaks. He whispered to himself with a voice so distorted even he could not understand the words themselves,

            _"Mother,"_

             Ola stared at the cub. He looked about eleven or ten. He also looked a great deal like her! Maybe that was why she felt connected to him. She knelt down and said,

            "Little one, what's your name?"

            Buddi swallowed once and then again, trying to clear away the lump in his throat. He spoke, with a voice that shook like an earthquake.

            "I…I…I'm B..B…B…"

            "Here," Ola handed him a canteen which he accepted gratefully. He down a few gulps before he could say,

            "B…Buddi. My…my name's…B…Buddi."

            "Well, Buddi, you're badly sun burnt. How about I get some herbs for that while you tell me how you got here?"

            Buddi took her offered hand and with shaking knees followed her up into a hut. Ola smiled at him but for Buddi he was unable to be mollified. This…he was in front of his mother. And judging by the way her stomach was bulging, she carried him inside her.

            "Ola! Who's this kid?"

            Ola smiled. "Bilo, this is Buddi. Buddi, my mate, Bilo."  

            Buddi trembled,

            _"Father,"_

            Bilo smiled and said, "Well, hey there. What's wrong kid? You look like you've seen a ghost."

            In a sense, Buddi had. All he knew of his father and mother were the brief pieces of information he had asked Ursa about when he was younger. Now he had stopped because he thought it would be disrespectful.

            Ola came out with a small wooden bowl and some small roots with her canteen.

            "Here, Buddi. Let me help that burn on your back."

            Buddi nodded and Ola lifted his tunic off his skin gently. Bilo smiled,

            "Ola's gonna have a cub soon. She wants to practice but had no to play the cub's part…until now. Do you mind being her test subject?"

            Buddi giggled for the first time in several weeks. He shook his head, "no."

            Ola smiled and then scooped up some watered down sap. She began to rub it into the child's back, in gentle circular motions. Buddi sighed. Her fingers…they were soft, softer than Ursa's and they had a different texture to them. Ursa's were a little rougher, with an elder feeling to them. Ironic, considering that Ursa was in actuality quite a few years younger than Ola. 

            Ola finished and lowered the cub's tunic.

            "there, does that help?"

            Buddi nodded. "Ola…"

            "Yes?"

            "I…I mean, why…why did you and Bilo decide…"

            "decide to have a child?"

            Buddi nodded, he knew she would not live to see her baby. Ola smiled.

            "I love cubs. Always have. But we don't have any. Someone must carry the tradition on. Our clan must survive. Ursa has no mate and in any case, she's sterile."

            Buddi gasped. He didn't know that!

            Ola turned red, much like Buddi did when he was embarrassed. First her cheeks turned pink, then red and gradually the color filled her face. She sighed,

            "I shouldn't be blurting her secrets."

            "I won't tell," Buddi promised. 

            Bilo chuckled, "Besides, Ola, she and Gritty went off hunting remember?"

            Ola smiled, "Her first hunting trip. She was ecstatic."

            Buddi smiled and Bilo went on.

            "Ola's the softie."

            Ola smacked him hard. Bilo chuckled, 

            "As long as you don't tell her that,"

            Buddi was stunned. He was much the same way. He knew he was not meant to be a warrior but if anyone reminded him, he would strike out with anger, afraid of reticule from Ursa. Perhaps Ola was where he got it. 

            Ola rose, "well, Buddi, you're welcome to stay here for the time being. I'm afraid Bilo and I have some things to do with Theanrn. We have a few snacks around, in case you get hungry."

            That said the two rose. Buddi started after them but they were gone in a few seconds. He stood by the railing, shaking,

            "No, please, I barely know you."

            But they had vanished. Buddi sat down and laid his face into his knees. Tears came swiftly but silently. He felt lost, homesick, scared, and confused.

            Buddi cried. It wasn't fair. He finally saw his parents and they took off. The cub cried and cried until his voice choked up and his breaths came in gasps. He knew exactly what Ursa would say if she saw him this way,

            "_Toughen up and stop that useless crying! You're a Barbic!"_

            Buddi tried to. But he couldn't. Finally, it was as if Ursa actually was there, and in a caring mood. Her voice said,

            _"Stop it, baby, you'll make yourself sick."_

            He felt arms lift him up, help him walk. It wasn't Ursa. Her arms were stronger. No, it…it was Ola.

            Ola was terrified to find a young cub in such a state. He was at least eleven, more likely twelve but his sobs sounded like a five year old child. Some feeling had urged her to return early and she was glad she did. 

            Buddi stumbled in his paces but his tears did not stop, no matter how hard he tried to force them to. They fell like an endless rain. He felt Ola help him over above a basin. The anxiety, the fear and the sorrow became an unendurable strain and the cub's stomach convulsed.

            Ola held the child steady as he emptied his stomach. She did not know why he had become so upset but she knew that it was his terrible crying and fit that had caused it. 

            Ola wet a washcloth and wiped the cub's mouth as he finished.

            "Shh, calm yourself. Calm down or you'll make yourself sick again."

            Buddi fought to force the shakiness from his voice. A few minutes later, Bilo walked in. he took in the situation quickly and helped Ola guide the cub to a bed in their main chamber. Buddi was still shaking but he was starting to calm down. But now he was weak. It had been some time since he'd eaten and now any food he had eaten was emptied.

            Buddi also knew that he was dehydrated. Ursa had told him that much. That was why she made him drink lots of fluids when he was sick and especially when he was nauseous. Buddi was trying to stop his tears. But they were not stopping. Slowing, yes but not stopping.

            Ola wrapped her arms around Buddi and forced his head into her now much smaller lap, in hopes it would ease his belly.

            It seemed to work. Ola started to smooth the cub's hair. She didn't know why but she felt a connection with this child. A connection she did not know the origin of. But in any event, she cared for him because he was a child and because she saw similarities. He acted very much like she did, even when upset.

            Ola was one of the few Barbics not ashamed to shed tears. 

            Buddi trembled and felt his mother's fingers rush through his sweaty hair. He was struggling to calm down.

            Ola and Bilo exchanged worried glances. They could tell the child had been through some great ordeal. But was it this immense?

            Buddi realized how close he was to his mother and grabbed one of her hands in a tight grip. He inhaled as he brought her palm to his face, taking in her fresh scent. 

            Ursa had always smelt of rain and spions, tangy fruits that grew near the floor of the woods. This smell was soft, fresh, young. Ola had a scent of morning dew and morning irises, flowers that bloomed in the woods' canopy. 

            "Buddi?" it was Bilo. Buddi turned his head and tried to wipe away his tears. But seeing his father, his flesh and blood father was too much and the tears remained. He flung himself into Bilo's arms, crying like baby.

            Bilo stared at his mate who shrugged but gave him a gesture that let him know she believed he should let the child cry. The Barbic nodded and stared at the cub he held in his arms. 

            Buddi inhaled his father's scent as if the aroma was air. Finally, he could finally feel his parents, touch them, and speak to them…

            Ola removed a charm from her neck and draped it over the cub's. Buddi looked at her and she fingered the small pendant.

            "It's an old belief of mine. Take a seed of the woods and a hair from each of your mates. It's supposed to be a charm, which gives strength. I took a seed of a tree and wove one of my hairs and Bilo's hair around it. I don't know what you've gone through small one, but you need strength. Judging by how you've broken down, I'm surprised you made it as far as you did before you shattered. You can't be more than eleven, am I right?"

            Buddi nodded, staring at the small trinket, which appeared to have been sealed with sap to keep the hairs in place. He raised his face to meet Ola's. She hugged him briefly.

            "Buddi, you're strong. But whatever you've seen has been terrible but you're holding it in. Don't do that. You're strong, you are but you're not that strong."

            "You don't-"

            "You're right," Bilo interrupted. "We don't know you. But I do know I would be proud to have raised someone with such a strong will. I don't know everything you've gone through, nor do I probably want to. But I would be glad enough if our child grows to be as strong as you are."

            Ola smiled; Buddi would be the name of her boy, if she were to have one. She had never seen such determination, such a will as she had seen in this boy. That was why she let him cry. He needed it. She had seen in his eyes that he had gone through much without breaking but if he did not let it out he would snap in two. 

            Bilo rose,

            "Ola, why don't we get Buddi something to drink?"

            He wanted to talk to her. She nodded and Buddi, who had wrapped his arms around her, let her up.

            But no sooner had they vanished then Buddi began to. Tears erupted again.

            "NO! Not yet! I…I've barely been here! I still have questions! Fate, please, not yet!"

            But Fate does not respond to tears.

            Buddi faded away, still reaching out to where the two had gone.


	9. Chapter 9

_1858_

            "Buddi!"

            The now grown Buddi, who was very near becoming five hundred, turned. His mate, Sunni, ran up to him and sighed deeply,

            "You should go back to Ursalia Buddi."

            "What's wrong?"

            Sunni bit her lower lip,

            "It's Ursa."

            "I don't want to hear it! You and Ulisa and now even Jacki have been telling me over and over again! Enough!"

            Sunni grabbed him gently and looked him in the eyes. She sighed deeply and said softly,

            "Buddi, we remind you because you're in denial. She's your mother and you believe her to be indestructible. So did I. But my own 'mother', Grammi died. Time is an enemy Ursa can't beat and you know it. She's old."

            Buddi started to shake. 

            "Sunni, Gritty died more than two decades ago. Grubbi died not long after Jacki became an adult. The other Barbics, the ones I grew up with, died one by one over the years. Ursa's all I have left."

            Sunni looked at him,

            "Ali became a healer after she grew up Buddi. She's the eldest of the healers we have right now. Even she knows that as strong as Ursa is, her body's old, her heart's tired. Go to her, Buddi."

            Buddi thought to his 'mother.' She'd been ill for some time but being the stubborn Barbic she was, insisted that she was fine. Until one day when she had just collapsed. She had been confined to bed ever since. Buddi didn't want to believe what Sunni was saying. Ursa was stronger, stronger than Grammi, stronger than Gritty.

            Buddi shook inwardly. But his logic dictated that she wasn't indestructible and he knew that for a fact.

            Sunni looked at Buddi with bright eyes.

            Buddi nodded, kissed his mate once and walked back towards the city, his heart heavy in his chest.

Present 

            "Any luck?"

            Zummi turned to Gruffi and smiled for the first time in weeks.

            "I think I may have an idea."

            "Great!"

            "I think I have the time he's in, eighteen-fifty-eight."

            Gruffi whistled. "How did you do that?"

            Zummi took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt. "The spell is on one page of the Great book. Like when we first opened the book and there were words from our ancestor on it, the time he's in is supposed to appear on the page. But when I…goofed the spell it could not tell where he was. My guess is that since the spell is sosing its length uh, losing its strength then the Book can detect it easier, probably by the lack of power in a supposedly powerful spell."

            Gruffi spoke, "You're saying that if we could not undo it then it would eventually lose contact with that medallion of yours and just strand the kid in some distant time?"

            "Essentially."

            Gruffi sighed deeply; magic was confusing. And perilous. No wonder he never heard of the Ancients using that spell, it was too dangerous. Zummi took a breath and went on.

"But I can't bring him back unless I know _exactly_ where he is. I can send another rafter him and keep track of them. Then when they find Buddi, I should be able to betect them toth…uh detect them both."

            Gruffi nodded. 

            Zummi took a breath. "I just need a volunteer. I would say Ursa-"

            "No, she's too weak."

            Zummi nodded, 

            "That's what I thought."

            "I'll go."

            Zummi looked up stunned. 

            "You? You hate my spells."

            "But if I hadn't…"

            Gruffi shook his head and walked off,

            "Just have it ready in an hour."

_1858_

            "Stay down, Nana."

            Ursa glared at her great granddaughter. Ali was a great grandmother herself but Ali was also a healer. She was medic at the moment not Ursa's descendant. Ursa fought her way to sitting position. 

            "Young lady, I may be five hundred and twenty one but I'm still leader of this clan."

            Ali sighed. "But Nana, I'm…"

            "Let me talk to her, Ali."

            The healer turned, her hair flowing into her deep eyes. She smiled.

            "Grandpa."

            Buddi smiled, greeted his granddaughter and then faced his 'mother.' Ursa smiled at him to try and reassure him but Buddi could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Ali left, kissing her Nana and then her grandfather. Buddi turned to Ursa.

            "How are you Ursa?"

            She smiled and gestured Buddi to sit by her,

            "Buddi, I'm almost five hundred and twenty-two."

            "I know."

            "Buddi, I'm old, baby."

            "You…you were just telling Ali…"

            "Buddi, she expects me to be that way. I'm not going to soften up just because I'm…"

            "Ursa!" Buddi grabbed her, although gently. "Ursa, please…no."

            "Baby," Ursa smiled at the other Barbic gently, "I'm tough but I can't beat time."

            "Ursa, please, don't say…"

            "I'm dying, Baby and you know it."

            Tears filled the younger adult's eyes. "No, please Ursa. You…you're all I have left."

            "Nonsense. You have your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren and onward. You and Sunni insured our clan's survival. You have dozens."

            "They aren't you." He pouted. "They'll never be you!"

            Ursa touched the Barbic's cheek and lifted her eyes to meet his.

            "Buddi, you know I wouldn't be around forever."

            "But…"

            "Hey," she smiled, fighting the solemn atmosphere, and slapped his cheek gently. "I'm not gone yet. Tell ya what, I want you to get us some lunch and I'll talk to you some more, since Ali isn't letting me up."

            Buddi nodded and walked off. Ali had confined her to bed. But this was unlike Ursa. She…was she really too weak to get up? Buddi voiced his concerns.

            "Ursa…she's actually _obeying_ orders?"

* * *

            Buddi groaned and sat up. His head was swimming and he felt weak. He hadn't eaten for about a day and a half now. With the loss of any nutrients when he'd gotten sick, he was especially weak. 

            "Buddi?"

            The cub looked up and saw an adult, who was obviously old but not too old. She was brown furred and had a patch on one of her eyes. She had light blond hair, which fell only to her chin; it was cut very short. She wore a light green dress, with no shoes. Around her waist, she had a leather belt with a golden bear's face as the clasp. 

            Buddi wiped his eyes. He must have been in the future again. Enough, already! He wished that he could have stayed in the last time a _little_ longer! His mother and father…he still knew so little about them! 

            "Buddi, I'm Ulisa. You're still lost in time?"

            Buddi nodded with a sob. He was beginning to believe he would always be tossed back and forth in the timeline.

            "Daddy!"

            Buddi turned to see whom she called to. An older gummi with dulling and graying hair turned. He had a patch on one of his eyes and a hood on his head. The gummi spied him and gasped. 

            "Ulisa! _DON'T_ tell him the year!"

            Then he took off at a sprint. Buddi stood, stunned. He turned to Ulisa,

            "What was _that_ about?"

* * *

            Buddi ran upstairs at a dead sprint. His older body should have rejected but Barbics stayed in great shape until almost the very end. He slammed the door open and cried,

            "Ursa!"

            The Barbic leader forced her eyes open. Buddi remembered…he'd heard when he was in this time. It was what traumatized him. 

            "Ursa?"

            Ursa smiled faintly and gestured over. He sat by her side and she grasped his hands. Buddi felt a weakness in her that unnerved him. Tears filled his eyes and Ursa forced herself up to a sitting position. She would have gotten to her feet but she wasn't a fool. She spoke, in a voice that was barley loud enough to be above a whisper.

            "Buddi, bring me my sword."

            Buddi did so, picking up the ancient blade from a chair across the room. Ursa took it, barely able to hold it. Buddi tried to help her but she glared at him and said,

            "I'm perfectly capable. Let go."

            Buddi did so, although reluctantly. Ursa smiled at him and said, as she fought her way to sit higher,

            "Buddi, my life's almost spent and you know it."

            Buddi nodded and let tears make tracks down his cheeks. Ursa put her hand to his cheek. 

            "Oh Buddi, don't cry. No mushy goodbyes. I've lived a good life; I'm not afraid of death."

            "You were never afraid of anything."

            Ursa chuckled. "I had my fears, just never expressed them. Only a fool's fearless Buddi."

            Buddi nodded. Ursa spoke,

            "Buddi, I want you to take over for me."

            Buddi looked up,

            "What?"

            Ursa handed her sword to Buddi. She drew his own from the sheath and laid it on the side table. Her now silver hair, draped into her eyes.

            "You've always had a strategic mind."

            Buddi stared at her sword, the symbol of the leader, engraved on its hilt. A circle with the gummi insignia.

            "Ursa…"

            "You'll lead them well without me."

            Buddi's voice choked as tears slid down his cheeks and he looked at Ursa with a child's eyes.

            "But, I don't know how,"

            Ursa pushed back her silver hair and put a palm to Buddi's face. She smiled, despite how weak she felt. 

            "I think you do. You're just scared."

            Buddi took her hand and kissed it faintly, begging,

            "Don't leave me alone."

            Ursa fought her own sorrow and soothed,

            "It'll be okay, baby. Time will ease it. You'll be all right. I raised you that way."

            "Ursa, you always said not to give up. Why are you giving up now?"

            Ursa sighed deeply,

            "Baby, I wish more than anything I could stay. I _don't_ give up. But I'm also not a fool. I'll fight this as long as I can but I can't fight it much longer. I know my limits."

            Buddi nodded and slid her sword into his sheath. He looked at her. She had closed her eyes and was breathing shallowly. Buddi knew that she must have hated the fact that she was restricted to bed. But she was, as she had said, not a fool.

            "Mama."

            Ursa opened her eyes and smiled faintly. She forced herself to sit all the way up. The effect nearly made her pass out but she opened her arms and Buddi fell into them. He started to cry, begging,

            "Don't leave me alone, Ursa!"

            Ursa put her hand into the other's hair and smiled.

            "Oh Baby."

            Ursa kissed his cheek lightly and said,

            "Buddi, I want you to go on and be happy. Can you do that for me?"

            Buddi nodded, "I'll…I'll try."

            "Good boy," she praised him gently. Her voice grew even softer. She felt her body weaken more than it already was. Buddi grew alarmed and drew away so he could look her in the eye/

            "Ursa, not yet. Please. Tell me…what do I do? You need Ali?"

            Ursa lifted his head and said with a shaky and weak voice,

            "Take care of our clan."

            Buddi stared at her as she slowly laid herself back down, too weak to sit up anymore.

            "No, Mama, please, no."

            Ursa looked at him and drew his face to her, kissing his forehead as she said,

            "Goodbye, Angel."

            Then Ursa fell limp and breathed her last breath.

            "Ursa, Ursa! Ursa!"

            Buddi laid his face onto her chest and wept. He begged,

            "No, Ursa. Come back. Mama Ursa, come back. No…"

            But Ursa, Leader of the Barbics, had died.

* * *

            Buddi sat in the kitchen, sipping a warm mug of tea. He wanted to see Ursa. If he was in the future, then Ursa knew who he was. He had just seen his parents. He felt confused, lost, but most of all, homesick. He wanted someone to comfort him. Although Ursa did not do it as a general rule, if she saw him this way…

            The door opened. Ali came in, her eyes red.

            "Sweetie, what's wrong?" Ulisa walked over to her daughter. The girl wiped her eyes.

            "Nana…"

            Ulisa did not have to hear the rest. She opened her arms and the two females cried. Buddi stared and got up. He laid his head against Ulisa's waist in an attempt at comfort. But inwardly, he wanted comfort from Ursa. He was trying to figure out where she was.

            "Ulisa, I don't wanna get in the way. Uh, do you know where Ursa is?"

            Ulisa's throat blocked and she knelt to sit in front of her father's past self. 

            "Buddi?"

            "Yeah?" Buddi swallowed. He didn't like this. Why didn't she just say? What was wrong?

            Buddi wanted Ursa. The more Ulisa delayed, the more he longed for her. Ursa did not usually comfort but if she saw him this way, maybe he could calm down.

            "Buddi, Ursa is…was my grandmother."

            "W..was?"

            "She died Buddi."

            "NO!"

            Buddi started to hit her and kick, screaming,

            "YOU LIE!"

            Tears fell from Buddi's face and tore out, screaming,

            "NO! She _can't_ be dead!"

Present 

            "Just do it!"

            Zummi nodded and looked around.

            Ursa was desperate. It took all Gritty's pleading to let her let Gruffi go and not go herself. Although Gritty knew that Buddi would have responded better to one of them, Ursa wasn't completely fine and if she listened to any of them it would be him. 

            They had summoned every gummi so that there would be no more interruptions. The last thing they needed was someone else lost in time.

            Gruffi turned to Zummi. 

            "Do it!"

            Zummi didn't argue.

_1858_

            Buddi crawled away from everyone else and laid his face into his hands and cried.

            He didn't care what happened to him anymore. If he died, fine. If he lived, fine. But he had no hope anymore. He felt like his heart had been ripped out. First he met his mother and barely knew her. Now, his surrogate mother, the person he had gone to over his past eleven years, was dead.

            "Buddi!"

            The cub heard someone scream his name. But he didn't care. He just let the tears come over and over. If they found him, fine. He didn't care.

            Gruffi looked around. He was in Ursalia. As far as he could tell, Zummi's spell had worked. But now he had to find Buddi. He ran through the city, looking for the small cub. He had to get him back before Ursa went insane. And Gum only knew what Buddi had gone through. 

            Gruffi inwardly had never regretted something so much in his life. If he could have undone that simple statement, he'd screamed…

            His sharp ears picked up crying. He made his way through the city. It was teeming with gummies. Any other time he would have stopped to meet them but his thoughts were just on one cub.

            He finally spied the cub by the old horn tower, in the darkness beneath it. He was crying.

            "Buddi!"

            The cub lifted his head and wiped his eyes.

            "Gr..Gruffi?"

            Relief flowed through Gruffi's heart. Alive, the cub was all right. But at closer glance, Gruffi wondered how all right he was. Gruffi had not seen such sadness, such fear and loneliness. He walked towards the cub and resisted an urge to grab the cub in a tight embrace, just of relief that Buddi was alive.

            "In the fur, kid. Come on, I came to take you back."

            Gruffi helped the cub to his feet. Buddi rejected,

            "Stop feeding me false hope."

            Gruffi restrained the cub. Buddi let out a yelp and hissed,

"Stop with the lies! I'll never get home! Stop feeding me rumors to get my hopes up!"

Gruffi was horrified. Tears were streaming down the cub's face and his deep eyes were hysterical. He knew that Buddi wanted to get home, he knew the cub wanted Ursa but whatever he had gone through had destroyed any faith he had.

Yet what scared Gruffi the most was that he knew that he was lucky Buddi was only like this. He would have hated to see him worse. If Zummi could get the spell to reverse soon, the better it would be. The spell kept track of Gruffi, when he reached Buddi it was _supposed_ to react. He only hoped that for once Zummi got a spell right.

            Buddi grabbed Gruffi after he was restrained. If he was going to restrain him then Buddi would draw comfort from anything, anyone. Gruffi was closest to Ursa in personality anyway. It was some comfort. But the thought of Ursa made tears run free again. 

            "Mama Ursa…Mama URSA! I want MAMA URSA!"

            Gruffi watched the cub with horror. What had happened? Buddi was sweaty, sobbing and shaking. Gruffi smoothed the cub's sweat drenched hair and whispered,

            "Hurry Zummi."

Present 

            Zummi stood, waiting, pleading to Gum that the spell had worked. Why had he done something so stupid? Gruffi wasn't the only one who felt grief. Zummi's was immense. If he had just obeyed his instinct that magic was serious and not a game then maybe this would never have happened. Maybe…maybe Gruffi was right. What right did he have to play around with something so dangerous?

            Zummi looked at Ursa. Her eyes were piercing, feverish but burning with a desperate hope. Zummi shuddered. He had to fix this. For Ursa and Gritty, for their whole clan. And for himself.

            A glow appeared in the center of the room. Ursa ran as close as she dared, her feverish eyes shimmering.

            Slowly Gruffi and then Buddi appeared. Gruffi had Buddi in his arms.

            Buddi opened his eyes and looked around. 

            "Now when am I?"

            "Home, Zummi brought you back," Gruffi tried.

            Buddi was shaking; he wanted to believe it, oh Gum if only it was true. But he couldn't be home…there was no way…

            "Buddi!"

            The cub looked up. Ursa, with long blond hair was looming over him, her arms out. Buddi stared for a minute before saying,

            "Home? Really?"

            Ursa nodded and said,

            "Baby, you're home, you're home."

            Buddi saw the truth, the relief in her eyes and voice. He tore from Gruffi with tears pouring from his face and leapt into Ursa's arms, screaming,

            "MAMA URSA!"


	10. Epilogue

* * *

            "MAMA URSA!"

            Ursa wrapped her arms around the cub as he ran to her arms. If he could have flown into them, he would have. Buddi curled his legs around her waist and snaked his arms around her neck, buying his face into her chest.

            Ursa moved her arms to support his weight and let him sob into her chest. Alive, he was alive. Had Gum himself opened the heavens and offered her Barbic Woods back, humanity destroyed and her full clan back, she could not have been happier.

            She had her baby back.

            Gritty gave a loud sigh of relief and walked to his friend. When Buddi had jumped into her arms, he saw her old persona resurface. As long as she had Buddi, she had her will to live. If Buddi were to vanish forever, Gritty supposed that she would go on but it would have altered her significantly. 

            Buddi felt someone touch his head, play with his brown hair a bit. He turned his face from Ursa's chest and caught sight of Gritty. The elder Barbic smiled at him and said,

            "I'm glad you're back, partner."

            Buddi nodded, once, before burying his face back into Ursa's chest.

            Gruffi motioned the others to leave. Only he remained and he said softly,

            "I'm sorry Buddi."

            The cub did not reply. He knew that Gruffi was not to blame. If anyone was to blame, it was himself. He wanted to reassure the Glen, especially since he knew that Gruffi, like Ursa, did not generally admit something they did was wrong. But he couldn't. He just concentrated on Ursa. On her smell, her touch, everything about her. 

            Ursa smoothed Buddi's hair and without lifting her face, said softly,

            "Gruffi?"

            The Glen turned. Ursa never took her eyes from the cub in her arms, but said,

            "Gruffi, thank you."

            Those two simple words seemed insignificant but Ursa rarely gave such praise or thanks. Gruffi nodded. He couldn't say anything else. He knew that it would be quite some time before Ursa forgave him, if she ever did. He couldn't blame her. Buddi he was not sure about. The cub was hysterical, distressed by whatever he had seen. Deciding not to press his luck and to give Ursa and Buddi time together, he walked out.

            Ursa kept her gaze on Buddi. He had latched himself onto her with a grip so tight she was stunned that he was that strong. His muscles felt weak, malnourished. And his young eyes were bloodshot and tormented. Ursa had prayed that Buddi would never see what she had seen. But judging from his eyes, he had seen some of that and then some horror she had never seen.

            "He's scared." Gritty told Ursa in a voice so light that only she heard him and Buddi was oblivious. 

            Ursa nodded, "I know. I'll try to calm him down. Tell Grubbi if he wants me to rest he'll have to wait."

            Gritty chuckled. "I'll pass along the message, Fearless One."

            Ursa gave her friend an annoyed glance. Gritty winced, aware that this was not the time for childish teasing. He nodded and said,

            "You want me to have Grubbi fix him something to eat?"

            Ursa turned to Buddi,

            "Buddi? Are you hungry?"

            The cub just whimpered and buried his face deeper into her torso. Ursa stroked his head, and rubbed his back. In answer to Gritty, she said,

            "Something tame."

            Gritty nodded and glanced at the cub that was clutching Ursa so desperately, needing her so much.

            "Dear Gum Above, what did you see, Buddi?"

* * *

            A knock at the door got Ursa's attention. She started to get up, but Buddi latched himself onto her again. Ursa was concerned. Buddi was not this clingy. He had never been this clingy. Buddi was more the type to be independent. 

            "Come in," she called as she sat back down. Buddi immediately scrambled into her lap and snaked his arms around her neck. Ursa wrapped her arms around him, as she always did when he got this way. It unnerved her that he was clinging to her so. She didn't mind it, especially after being separated from the child for so long but it made her worry.

            The door opened and Grammi walked in with a tray. 

            "I didn't think Buddi would want to leave you so I thought I'd bring you dinner." She said sweetly. She caught sight of the cub and stroked his hair. Buddi didn't even acknowledge her. Grammi sighed,

            "Poor thing."

            Ursa nodded. Of all the Glens, Grammi alone knew how she felt. Ursa generally considered the gummi weak but Grammi knew what torture she had been going through. The love she had for Buddi was something only another mother could understand.

            Grammi spoke to Ursa softly,

            "Why not give him a warm bath? That generally calms Sunni down."

            Ursa nodded, gave her thanks for the advice and Grammi left. Honestly, Ursa had been considering that herself. It had worked when Buddi was younger. But she didn't know, Buddi was pretty modest, especially when it came to his body.

            In the end, Ursa decided to try it. The cub was still clutching her like she was the heart that pumped his blood. He embraced her like she was the air he breathed. 

            Buddi refused to release Ursa, even after she had asked him multiple times. He was terrified that if he released her she would vanish or he would disappear again. He was scared about releasing her for even a minute. 

            Ursa managed to get Buddi to let her up although he followed her around like a puppy. His arms were now curled around her waist. Well, that was better than having him hanging around her neck. Ursa was strong and Buddi was pretty light but after time he got heavy.

            It didn't take Ursa long to warm a bath for the cub. She stayed with him at his insistence. She didn't know that he needed her that badly. But Grammi was right. The warm water did seem to calm him, if only a bit. 

            Buddi trembled and let Ursa pour some water over his neck and upper back. He didn't want her to go. Embarrassment that he would have usually felt, departed in exchange for reassurance. If she was there, he knew that he still had her. That she was still alive. He didn't want that comfort to be gone.

            Buddi reached up and grabbed hold of Ursa's hands and wove them around his chest. Ursa hugged him faintly and Buddi gave a sigh of relief. Ursa whispered, trying to break through the barrier of fear that had somehow embraced him,

            "I'm right here, Buddi."

            Buddi just trembled.

* * *

            "Ursa?"

            The Barbic leader looked up as Gritty walked into her room.

            "Hey Gritty."

            Gritty chuckled as she laid against his shoulder. "You look tired."

            Ursa sighed, "I'm worried. I've never seen Buddi this way. What in Gum's name could make him regress like that?"

            "He regressed?"

            "Not much, just about two or three years."

            Gritty nodded and looked at her. She was still a little feverish but since Buddi returned she had gotten significantly better. He swallowed,

            "How is he now?"

            "He's asleep but I think exhaustion is the key reason."

            Gritty nodded, "Ursa, you know you're doing all you can."

            She sighed, "It isn't enough."

            Gritty nodded, "You're right, it isn't. But you're only mortal Ursa."

            Ursa turned to glare at him but Gritty already had a comeback,

            "Ursa, Buddi's been gone almost a little over two months. Did you expect that time to have _no_ effect on him? All you can do is help him through it. As much as you _or_ me would like to just 'make it all better' so to speak, we can't. You know that."

            Ursa drew away and sighed, "You think I don't know that?"

            "No, I think you do but you're denying it. When you have a problem you face it and defeat it. This is making you uneasy because you can't defeat this problem."

            Ursa growled at him before turning away again and hissing,

            "Drop it."

            Gritty sighed and said simply,

            "Let time do the rest, Ursa."

            Ursa spat, "Time has done enough already."

            Gritty gave up. There was no sense in arguing with her now. But in a way he was glad to see her the old way again. 

* * *

            "Ursa!"

            Buddi let out a scream as she began to fade in front of him. He reached out for her but his hands passed straight through her. He now saw it was he who was fading. He screamed.

            "MAMA URSA!"

            "Buddi!"

            Buddi opened his eyes. Not Ursa, but Grammi was sitting by his bedside, shaking him awake.

            "Land sakes, Buddi, are you alright, dear?"

            Buddi shook his head,

            "Where am I now?"

            "You're in the Glen Buddi."

            "What year?!"

            "Buddi, Buddi, sweetie, listen to me." Grammi caught his face in her palms and looked at him with shining eyes. "Zummi reversed the spell. You're in the right time, thirteen-seventy."

            Buddi was shaking. "Mama Ursa, I want my Mama Ursa."

            Grammi smiled and led him out of the room, knowing there was no way he would wait.

            Ursa and Gritty turned as the door opened. Buddi ran in and leapt into Ursa's lap, shaking. Grammi smiled and said,

            "He wanted you."

            Ursa turned to Buddi who had grabbed her in a tight embrace. She started to soothe him as best she could while Gritty tried to get what happened out of Grammi.

            "A nightmare as far as I can tell," Grammi replied to the black gummi's questioning. "He doesn't seem to believe he'll actually _stay_ in this time. He keeps thinking he'll be jerked away again."

            Gritty nodded, "That explains why he's so clingy."

            Grammi nodded, wring her hands as she watched the cub. "I can't really think of anything to do except be there. I mean, I think time is all that will heal this."

            Gritty nodded and Grammi left. Gritty turned to where Ursa sat, a petrified cub clutching her as if she were life itself. Buddi was crying, a sound that had become familiar to Ursa and Gritty in the last few hours,

            "I'm scared Ursa! I woke up and I didn't know _when_ I was! I didn't know if you were alive, dead, or not even born yet! Don't leave me!"

            Ursa hugged the cub close and said,

            "Buddi, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

            Buddi tightened his grip. He didn't care if he looked like a wimp or baby. He wanted her. He was still trying to reassure himself that he was truly home and that he would not be taken to different time. 

            The only way he could feel that he was truly here was to lock himself onto Ursa. He didn't want to have that fear again. He didn't want loneliness. He didn't…

            He didn't want her dead again.

            "'Sa?"

            Ursa was stunned. Buddi hadn't called her 'Sa, since he had learned to talk and couldn't pronounce the 'u' and 'r' in her name. 

            "What?"

            "Can…can I stay with you tonight?"

            "Buddi, aren't you a little big for that?" Ursa knew he was scared, but was he truly that terrified?

            In answer, he tightened his grip. "You…you don't know what I saw."

            "Why don't you tell me?" Her voice was uncharacteristically soft. She stroked his wet cheeks.

            "No," Buddi looked at her with fearful eyes, "Not now, not yet, please."

            Ursa lifted Buddi to look her in the eyes. "Buddi, what did you possibly see that scared you this much?"

            Buddi could not reply, just begged,

            "Please. For tonight."

            Every bit of Ursa's body told her that it was unbarbic and weak. But…she had not held her baby for over two months. She looked at him, clutching her so desperately. He was scared, petrified. Why she did not know but he was afraid of losing her. She knew that pushing him would achieve nothing. She glared at Gritty and he nodded and left, closing the door. 

            Ursa turned to the cub in her arms and whispered,

            "Well, just for tonight."

            Buddi relaxed considerably. His grip on her loosened but he still kept his arms locked around her neck. Ursa laid down gently and Buddi moved his arms to her waist and slinked his legs around her lower legs. Ursa sighed deeply,

            "Dear Gum, what did you see, angel?"

            Buddi shuddered in answer. Ursa held Buddi closer to her and in reply, she felt his grip loosen. She sucked on her pointer and thumb and put out the candle, the sole light in the room. In the dark she felt Buddi tighten his grip. 

            Ursa laid her head down and just played with Buddi's hair. Buddi had drifted off asleep again, now that he could feel Ursa's arms around him.  He had his face buried into her chest and Ursa turned his face a bit so that he wouldn't smother himself. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled the sheets up to cover them both. 

            Buddi trembled and murmured,

            "Mama Ursa…Mama Ursa!"

            Ursa tightened her grip on the cub and whispered,

            "I'm right here baby. I'm not going anywhere."

            Buddi opened his eyes,

            "Promise?"

            Ursa looked at him, appalled and worried at his sudden desire for her word. He shrieked,

            "PROMISE?"

"Shh, shh, shh," she stroked his sweaty hair and he wrapped her tighter in his small arms. "Shh, I'll stay with you as long as my life lets me."

            "Swear?"

            "On my honor."

            Buddi relaxed after that. He knew when she said her word she kept it. He had never known her to break a promise to anyone, despite the circumstance. He inhaled her scent. After so many months, it was like the scent of fresh life in his nose and lungs. He laid against her waist and closed his eyes slowly. Wrapping his legs around her lower legs, he let her warmth and security wash over him. He nuzzled down and began to finally drift into a peaceful sleep. He'd never felt such warmth, such emotion and relief to have her so close.

 Ursa let out a sigh of relief.

            "I love you, Mama Ursa."

            That declaration was so sudden it stunned Ursa speechless. Barbics never said such things. Their actions always spoke louder than their words. But Buddi had spoken it desperately, as if he were afraid he would not get another chance to show it. 

            She remembered Grammi's words which she had considered weak,

            _"Be there for him."_

            But now Ursa realized that was probably the best thing she could do. She wrapped her arms tighter around the cub and still heard his words echoing in her mind,

            _"I love you Mama Ursa."_

            Ursa spoke no verbal words, just spoke silently to herself. She drew Buddi's face up until his hair brushed her cheek. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. Kissing his forehead once, she thought to herself,

            _"I love you too Baby. More than life itself."_


End file.
